Genomic structure and strain-specific expression of the natural killer cell receptor NKR-P1

NK cells are able to lyse a variety of virally infected and neoplastic cells in an MHC-unrestricted manner. The cell-surface protein NKR-P1 is thought to play a key role in this process. NKR-P1, initially identified in rat IL-2 activated NK cells, is encoded in the mouse by at least three similar, but not identical, genes. We previously reported the isolation and characterization of three different NKR-P1 cDNA, termed cDNA 2, 34, and 40, from IL-2 activated mouse NK cells. This report describes the structure of the gene encoding NKR-P1 cDNA 2, the smallest of these three cDNA. Gene 2 is composed of six exons spanning approximately 14 kb of genomic DNA. The first exon encodes the N-terminal intracellular domain, and exons 4, 5, and 6 contain the sequences coding for the CRD. This organization is similar to that of other genes that encode C-type animal lectins. The expression of the NKR-P1 genes in A-LAK cells from 13 mouse strains was examined by Northern blot analysis. NKR-P1 expression appears to coincide with that of the NK1.1 Ag. This observation further supports the hypothesis that the NK1.1 Ag is encoded by one of the NKR-P1 genes. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the promoter region of the three NKR-P1 genes in BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice suggests that differences in the level of expression probably do not result from alterations in the upstream regions of these genes, but may be caused by the expression of strain-specific transacting factors.