OPPOSING FUNCTIONS OF ACTIVATORY T-CELL RECEPTORS AND INHIBITORY NK-CELL RECEPTORS ON CYTOTOXIC T-CELLS

A subset of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) express killer-cell inhibit ory receptors (KIRs), which inhibit cell-mediated cytotoxicity upon bi nding to HLA class I molecules. These CTLs can receive inhibitory sign als via KIRs and activatory T-cell-receptor-mediated signals. Here, th e balance between these two opposing signals is discussed.