CD160: A unique activating NK cell receptor

• Published in: Immunology letters Vol. 138; no. 2; pp. 93 - 96
• Main Authors: Le Bouteiller, Philippe, Tabiasco, Julie, Polgar, Beata, Kozma, Noemi, Giustiniani, Jérôme, Siewiera, Johan, Berrebi, Alain, Aguerre-Girr, Maryse, Bensussan, Armand, Jabrane-Ferrat, Nabila
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 30.08.2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: 1-Phosphatidylinositol 4-Kinase - genetics; 1-Phosphatidylinositol 4-Kinase - immunology; 1-Phosphatidylinositol 4-Kinase - metabolism; adaptor proteins; Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing - genetics; Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing - immunology; Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing - metabolism; Allergy and Immunology; Amino Acid Motifs; Animals; Antigens, CD - genetics; Antigens, CD - immunology; Antigens, CD - metabolism; Cancer; CD16 antigen; CD160; CD56 Antigen - genetics; CD56 Antigen - immunology; CD56 Antigen - metabolism; Cell killing; Chemokines; Conserved Sequence; Cytokines; Cytokines - genetics; Cytokines - immunology; Cytokines - metabolism; Cytotoxicity; Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; functional properties; gamma -Interferon; Gene Expression - immunology; Genes, MHC Class I - immunology; Glycosylphosphatidylinositols - genetics; Glycosylphosphatidylinositols - immunology; Glycosylphosphatidylinositols - metabolism; GPI-Linked Proteins - genetics; GPI-Linked Proteins - immunology; GPI-Linked Proteins - metabolism; Humans; Immunoglobulin-like receptors; immunologic receptors; immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif; Inflammation; interferon-gamma; Interleukin 6; Interleukin 8; Killer Cells, Natural - cytology; Killer Cells, Natural - immunology; Killer Cells, Natural - metabolism; Leukocytes; Life Sciences; Major histocompatibility complex; Mice; Natural killer cells; NK cell; NK cell receptor; phenotype; Receptors, IgG - genetics; Receptors, IgG - immunology; Receptors, IgG - metabolism; Receptors, Immunologic - genetics; Receptors, Immunologic - immunology; Receptors, Immunologic - metabolism; secretion; Signal Transduction - immunology; Structure-function relationships; Tumor necrosis factor- alpha; Cell killing; Cytokines; CD160; NK cell; NK cell receptor
• ISSN: 0165-2478; 1879-0542; 1879-0542
• DOI: 10.1016/j.imlet.2011.02.003

Here we discuss CD160 an essential NK cell activating receptor that remains poorly understood. CD160 receptor exhibits a number of unique structural and functional characteristics that are not common to other killer immunoglobulin-like receptors that recognize major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules: (1) In addition to humans and mice, the cd160 gene is conserved in several other mammal species; (2) cd160 is located outside the NK gene complex and the Leukocyte Receptor Complex in humans; (3) CD160 expression is associated to the CD56dim CD16+ cytotoxic NK cell phenotype; (4) both human and mouse CD160 recognize MHC class Ia and Ib molecules; (5) unlike the other MHC class I-dependent activating NK receptors, CD160 is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored molecule with a single immunoglobulin-like domain, and does not bear immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motifs. Consequently, CD160 cannot signal by itself, requiring the recruitment of adaptor proteins. CD160 recruits phosphoinositide-3 kinase to trigger cytotoxicity and cytokine secretion; (6) specific engagement of NK CD160 receptor expressed by circulating NK cells produces proinflammatory cytokines IFN-γ, TNF-α, and, most notably, IL-6 and IL-8 as well as MIP1-β chemokine. The level of CD160-mediated IFN-γ production is always higher than the one observed after engagement of the CD16 receptor.