The Journal of Experimental Medicine
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A correction to this article has been published: J. Exp. Med. 194 (12) 1885
Published 19 November 2001. doi:10.1084/jem.194.10.1519
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© Rockefeller University Press, 0022-1007/2001/11/1519/ $5.00
The Journal of Experimental Medicine, Volume 194, Number 10, November 19, 2001 1519-1530

Original Article

Acquisition of External Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I Molecules by Natural Killer Cells Expressing Inhibitory Ly49 Receptors

Anna Sjöström1, Mikael Eriksson2, Cristina Cerboni1, Maria H. Johansson1, Charles L. Sentman2, Klas Kärre1 and Petter Höglund1

1 Microbiology and Tumor Biology Center, Karolinska Institutet, S-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
2 Umeå Center for Molecular Pathogenesis, Umeå University, S-901 87 Umeå, Sweden

Address correspondence to Dr. Petter Höglund, Microbiology and Tumor Biology Center, Karolinska Institutet, Box 280, S–171 77 Stockholm, Sweden. Phone: 46-8-728-62-01; Fax: 46-8-30-42-76; E-mail: petter.hoglund{at}mtc.ki.se

Murine natural killer (NK) cells express inhibitory Ly49 receptors specific for major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules. We report that during interactions with cells in the environment, NK cells acquired MHC class I ligands from surrounding cells in a Ly49-specific fashion and displayed them at the cell surface. Ligand acquisition sometimes reached 20% of the MHC class I expression on surrounding cells, involved transfer of the entire MHC class I protein to the NK cell, and was independent of whether or not the NK cell expressed the MHC class I ligand itself. We also present indirect evidence for spontaneous MHC class I acquisition in vivo, as well as describe an in vitro coculture system with transfected cells in which the same phenomenon occurred. Functional studies in the latter model showed that uptake of H-2Dd by Ly49A+ NK cells was accompanied by a partial inactivation of cytotoxic activity in the NK cell, as tested against H-2Dd-negative target cells. In addition, ligand acquisition did not abrogate the ability of Ly49A+ NK cells to receive inhibitory signals from external H-2Dd molecules. This study is the first to describe ligand acquisition by NK cells, which parallels recently described phenomena in T and B cells.

Key Words: immunology • cellular immunity • natural immunity • cell communication • biological adaptation


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