Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 7, 2026

Contact-Free Co-Culture Model for the Study of Innate Immune Cell Activation During Respiratory Virus Infection
07:36

Contact-Free Co-Culture Model for the Study of Innate Immune Cell Activation During Respiratory Virus Infection

Published on: February 28, 2021

3.5K

NK-cell receptors NKp46 and NCR1 control human metapneumovirus infection

Mohammad Diab1, Ariella Glasner1, Batya Isaacson1

  • 1The Lautenberg Center for General and Tumor Immunology, the BioMedical Research Institute Israel-Canada of the Faculty of Medicine (IMRIC), The Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel.

European Journal of Immunology
|February 14, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Natural killer (NK) cells use the NKp46 receptor to recognize human metapneumovirus (HMPV)-infected cells. The natural cytotoxicity receptor 1 (NCR1) is crucial for controlling HMPV infection in mice.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Virology
  • Cellular Biology

Background:

  • Natural killer (NK) cells are crucial immune cells that eliminate pathogens via activating receptors.
  • Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) causes significant respiratory infections in children, but NK cell responses remain poorly understood.
  • HMPV infection can be severe, particularly in immunocompromised individuals.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of NK cells and specific activating receptors in response to HMPV infection.
  • To characterize the NK cell response in the context of HMPV infection in both human and mouse models.
  • To determine the critical NK cell receptors involved in controlling HMPV.

Main Methods:

  • Reporter assays and NK-cell cytotoxicity assays using human and mouse NK cells.
  • Analysis of NK cell phenotype in blood and lungs of HMPV-infected mice.
  • Utilizing Ncr1-deficient mice to assess the role of the NCR1 receptor.

Main Results:

  • The NKp46 receptor (and its mouse orthologue, Ncr1) recognized an unknown ligand on HMPV-infected cells.
  • MHC class I expression was upregulated, while MICA was downregulated on infected cells.
  • Lung NK cells showed higher activation markers (NKG2D, CD43, CD27, KLRG1, CD69) compared to blood NK cells.
  • Ncr1-deficient mice exhibited impaired control of HMPV infection.

Conclusions:

  • NKp46/Ncr1 engagement is a key mechanism in NK cell recognition of HMPV-infected cells.
  • NCR1 plays a vital role in the innate immune response against HMPV.
  • Understanding NK cell responses to HMPV can inform therapeutic strategies for respiratory viral infections.
Keywords:
HMPVMHC class IMICANCR1NCRsNK cellsNKG2DNKp46respiratory infection

More Related Videos

A BW Reporter System for Studying Receptor-Ligand Interactions06:05

A BW Reporter System for Studying Receptor-Ligand Interactions

Published on: January 7, 2019

8.2K
Production of Pseudotyped Particles to Study Highly Pathogenic Coronaviruses in a Biosafety Level 2 Setting08:40

Production of Pseudotyped Particles to Study Highly Pathogenic Coronaviruses in a Biosafety Level 2 Setting

Published on: March 1, 2019

59.8K

Related Concept Videos

Cells of the Innate Immune Response01:28

Cells of the Innate Immune Response

The innate immune response is an immediate and non-specific response against pathogens, acting swiftly to prevent the spread of infections. The primary cells involved in this response are phagocytes and natural killer (NK) cells.
Phagocytes
Phagocytes police the peripheral tissues by removing cellular debris and responding to the invasion of foreign substances or pathogens. Many phagocytes attack and remove microorganisms even before lymphocytes detect them. The human body has two general...
10.0K
Immune Response Against Viral Pathogens01:29

Immune Response Against Viral Pathogens

The immune system's response to viral infections is a complex and coordinated process involving natural killer (NK) cells, T cell-mediated responses, and antibody-mediated responses.
NK Cells
NK cells are a crucial part of our innate immune system, acting as the first line of defense against viral infections. These cells can recognize and kill infected cells without prior exposure to the virus, effectively slowing down the spread of infection. Additionally, NK cells produce proinflammatory...
2.3K
Immune Surveillance by NK Cells and Phagocytes01:25

Immune Surveillance by NK Cells and Phagocytes

Immune surveillance is an integral part of the innate immune system, involving the continuous monitoring of peripheral tissues to detect and respond to pathogens, infected cells, or cancerous cells. This surveillance is conducted primarily by natural killer (NK) cells and phagocytes, which employ distinct but complementary mechanisms to identify and eliminate threats.
Natural Killer Cells: The Fast Responders
NK cells are large granular lymphocytes found in the blood and lymphatic system. These...
9.2K
Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response01:27

Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response

Cytotoxic T cells are a vital component of the immune system. They have the remarkable ability to identify and target antigens on infected or abnormal cells. These antigens often originate from intracellular pathogens such as viruses or abnormal proteins cancer cells produce.
Immunological surveillance is the ability of immune cells to monitor and eliminate infected cells with intracellular pathogens, neoplastically transformed cells, and cells with non-self antigens. Cytotoxic T cells and NK...
7.7K
Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: Neurokinin-1 Receptor Antagonists01:28

Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: Neurokinin-1 Receptor Antagonists

Neurokinin 1 (NK1) receptors are distributed across the GI tract, vagal afferents, and key CNS regions including the central vomiting center and chemoreceptor trigger zone (CTZ) Chemotherapy agents stimulate enterochromaffin cells in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract to release large amounts of substance P (SP). SP is a neuropeptide released by specific sensory nerves in response to many different stressors, including those in the GI mucosa affected by chemotherapy.  SP binds and activates...
701
NF-κB-dependent Signaling Pathway02:26

NF-κB-dependent Signaling Pathway

The transcription factor NF-κB was discovered in 1986 in the lab of Nobel laureate Professor David Baltimore, for its interaction with the immunoglobulin light chain enhancer in B-cells. After more than three decades of study, it is now evident that NF-κB regulates the expression of over 100 genes. Most of these genes play an essential role in the innate and adaptive immune responses as well as the inflammatory responses of animals.
NF-κB-dependent Signaling Mechanism
The...
10.2K