MHC class I recognition by Ly49 natural killer cell receptors
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Updated: Oct 1, 2026

Measurement of Natural Killer Cell-Mediated Cytotoxicity and Migration in the Context of Hepatic Tumor Cells
Published on: February 22, 2020
Kannan Natarajan1, Nazzareno Dimasi, Jian Wang
1Molecular Biology Section, Laboratory of Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-1892, USA.
Abstract:
Natural killer (NK) cell function is regulated by NK receptors that bind either classical MHC class I (MHC-I) molecules or their structural relatives (MICA, RAE-1 and H-60). Two distinct families of NK receptors have been identified: the C-type lectin-like family (Ly49, NKG2D and CD94/NKG2) and the immunoglobulin-like family (KIRs and LIRs). Here, we describe the crystal structure of the C-type lectin-like NK receptor (Ly49A), bound to its MHC-I ligand (H-2D(d)). We also discuss results from recent mutagenesis studies of the Ly49A/H-2D(d) interaction in the context of the complex structure.
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