NCR1 is an activating receptor expressed on a subset of canine NK cells

Defining NK cells has been challenging in many veterinary species. Although several groups have described putative NK cell populations, there is still no consensus on a definition of NK cells in the dog. In the present study, canine NK cells are characterized as CD3(-)GranzymeB(+) cells, further divided into a NCR1(+) and a NCR1(-) subset. All dogs examined displayed both subsets in blood, although of quite variable magnitude. Following vaccination an increase was observed in the CD3(-) NCR1(-) cell population in blood, but not in the CD3(-) NCR1(+) population. Non-B non-T cell cultures stimulated with IL-2 and IL-15 were dominated by CD3(-)GranzymeB(+) cells after approximately 2 weeks and a large proportion of the CD3(-)GranzymeB(+) cells expressed NCR1. IL-12 stimulation lead to a further upregulation resulting in an almost uniform expression of NCR1. The cultured cells expressed MHC class II, showed a variable expression of CD8 and were negative for CD4 and CD21. The cultures were able to kill known NK cell targets, and NCR1 was shown to be a major activating receptor. A large proportion of the NCR1(+) cells, but none of the NCR1(-) cells, produced IFNγ in response to IL-12 stimulation. These results show that NCR1 defines two subsets of canine NK cells, likely to represent different activation stages, and that NCR1 acts as an activating receptor on canine NK cells.