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Influence of CRACC, a SLAM family receptor coupled to the adaptor EAT-2, on natural killer cell function
Mario-Ernesto Cruz-Munoz1, Zhongjun Dong, Xiaochu Shi
1Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Clinical Research Institute of Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada H2W 1R7.
Abstract:
CRACC is a self-associating member of the signaling lymphocytic activation molecule family that is expressed on cells of the immune system, including natural killer cells and activated T cells. Here we examine the function and mechanism of action of CRACC using several complementary approaches, including the generation of a CRACC-deficient mouse. Our results demonstrate that CRACC positively regulated natural killer cell functions by a mechanism dependent on the adaptor EAT-2 but not the related adaptor SAP. However, in the absence of EAT-2, CRACC potently inhibited natural killer cell function. CRACC was also inhibitory in T cells, which are typically devoid of EAT-2. Thus, CRACC can exert activating or inhibitory influences on cells of the immune system depending on cellular context and the availability of effector proteins.
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