查看文章

Recognition of major histocompatibility class 1 molecules on target ce Ils by natural killer (NK) cells confers selective protection from NK-mediated Iysis. Crosslinking of the p58 NK receptor, involved in the recognition of HLA-C alleles, delivers a negative signal that prevents target cell Iysis. Molecular cloning of the p58 NK receptor reported here revealed a new member of the immunoglobulin superfamily. Five distinct p58 receptors, with sequence diversity in the immunoglobulin-related domains, were identified in a single individual. Ali NK clones tested expressed at least one p58 member. Three different types of transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains exist, even among receptors with closely related extracellular domains. These data revealed a repertoire of NK cells with clonally distributed p58 receptors exhibiting diversity in both extracellular and intracellular domains.