Licensing of natural killer cells by self‐major histocompatibility complex class I
- 7 November 2006
- journal article
- review article
- Published by Wiley in Immunological Reviews
- Vol. 214 (1), 143-154
- https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-065x.2006.00458.x
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells have potent capacities to immediately kill cellular targets and produce cytokines that may potentially damage normal self-tissues unless they are kept in check. Such tolerance mechanisms are incompletely understood. Here we discuss recent studies suggesting that NK cells undergo a host major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I-dependent functional maturation process, termed 'licensing'. Ironically, licensing directly involves inhibitory receptors that recognize target cell MHC class I molecules and block activation of NK cells in effector responses. This process results in two types of tolerant NK cells: functionally competent (licensed) NK cells, whose effector responses are inhibited by self-MHC class I molecules through the same receptors that conferred licensing, and functionally incompetent (unlicensed) NK cells.Keywords
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