Natural killer cell subsets in man and rodents

NK cells are important contributors to the early immune defence against infected or transformed cells. They are rapidly activated in response to cytokines, whereby they exert their effector functions. NK cell responses are controlled by a multitude of receptors, which are expressed by subpopulations of NK cells with distinct phenotypes and functionalities. Direct comparisons between species are often difficult because of differences in the expression of NK cell receptors and other markers. In addition, NK cells change their phenotype and effector functions during differentiation, by tissue-specific factors, or upon activation, complicating interpretations. We will here review the similarities and differences between the major NK cell subsets in man and two well-characterized rodent models.