Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 18, 2026

Co-immunoprecipitation Assay for Studying Functional Interactions Between Receptors and Enzymes
Published on: September 28, 2018
DAP12: an adapter protein with dual functionality
Rayna Takaki1, Susan R Watson, Lewis L Lanier
1The Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
Abstract:
Expressed predominantly on myeloid and natural killer (NK) cells, DAP12 is an adapter protein that can associate with a variety of receptors. To date, DAP12 has predominantly been characterized as an adapter protein that activates various myeloid and NK cell effector functions; however, recent findings have demonstrated that DAP12 can also inhibit myeloid functions. Here we review the dual functionality of DAP12 and present evidence that DAP12 can suppress as well as activate NK cells.
Related Concept Videos
The ADP/ATP Carrier Protein
Assembly of Signaling Complexes
Interaction domains in cell signaling
Interaction domains recognize exposed features of their binding partners containing post-translationally modified sequences,...
Protein Complexes with Interchangeable Parts
The SCF ubiquitin ligase is a protein complex of five individual proteins. This complex attaches ubiquitin to other target proteins to mark them for degradation. In order to...
Tail-anchoring of Proteins in the ER Membrane
Rab Proteins
Rab proteins switch between a cytosolic, GDP-bound inactive state and a membrane-anchored, GTP-bound active state. By themselves, Rabs show slow rates of GDP/GTP exchange and GTP hydrolysis. Thus, Rab proteins are considered...
Catenins
Catenins in Cell Junctions
Catenins bind to cell adhesion molecules such as cadherins and link them to different cytoskeletal proteins depending on the type of cell junction. At the adherens...

