NATURAL-KILLER-CELL RECEPTORS

In killing of cellular targets, natural killer cells employ receptors that activate them and receptors specific for MHC class I that inhibit their activation. Progress in understanding the inhibitory receptors has been rapid, and indications are that they fall into two distinct s tructural types that appear to utilize the same inhibitory signaling c ascade; meanwhile, components of the activation cascade are being eluc idated, permitting us to integrate the pathways involved.