E. Tomasello et al., Combined natural killer cell and dendritic cell functional deficiency in KARAP/DAP12 loss-of-function mutant mice, IMMUNITY, 13(3), 2000, pp. 355-364
KARAP/DAP12 is a transmembrane polypeptide with an intracytoplasmic immunor
eceptor tyrosine-based activation motif (ITAM). KARAP/DAP12 is associated w
ith several activating cell surface receptors in hematopoietic cells. Here,
we report that knockin mice bearing a nonfunctional KARAP/DAP12 ITAM prese
nt altered innate immune responses. Although in these mice NK cells are pre
sent and their repertoire of inhibitory MHC class I receptors is intact, th
e NK cell spectrum of natural cytotoxicity toward tumor cell targets is res
tricted. KARAP/DAP12 loss-of-function mutant mice also exhibit a dramatic a
ccumulation of dendritic cells in muco-cutaneous epithelia, associated with
an impaired hapten-specific contact sensitivity. Thus, despite its homolog
y with CD3 zeta and FcR gamma, KARAP/DAP12 plays a specific role in innate
immunity, emphasizing the nonredundancy of these ITAM-bearing polypeptides
in hematopoietic cells.