Molecular analyses of the interactions between human NK receptors and their HLA ligands

NK cell cytotoxicity is regulated by the action of multiple families of rec eptors. The interactions of these receptors with their ligands control diff erent activating/inhibiting signal pathways and it is the balance of these signals which determines the behavior of the NK cell. The major described i nhibitory pathways begin either with the recognition of a target cell class ical class I HLA molecule by a killer cell immunologlobulin-like receptor ( KIR) or the binding of the non-classical class I molecule HLA-E to the CD94 /NKG2-A heterodimer. Activating counterparts to these inhibitory NK recepto rs have also been described and this review focuses on the molecular detail s of the binding of the inhibitory and activating receptors to their HLA li gands. Human Immunology 61, 28-38 (2000). (C) American Society for Histocom patibility and Immunogenetics, 2000. Published by Elsevier Science Inc.