A HUMAN KILLER INHIBITORY RECEPTOR-SPECIFIC FOR HLA-A

Killer inhibitory receptors (KIRs) are transmembrane glycoproteins, ex pressed on NK cells and a small subset of T cells, that inhibit cell-m ediated cytotoxicity upon binding to polymorphic MHC class I determina nts on target cells. Although human KIRs specific for HLA-C and HLA-B molecules have been characterized, none have been shown to interact wi th HLA-A, Here we demonstrate that a member of the KIR cDNA family, de signated NKAT4, encodes a 70-kDa receptor specific for HLA-A3.