Nt. Young et al., Differential expression of leukocyte receptor complex-encoded Ig-like receptors correlates with the transition from effector to memory CTL, J IMMUNOL, 166(6), 2001, pp. 3933-3941
human leukocyte receptor complex (LRC) on chromosome 19q13.4 encodes Ig sup
erfamily receptors expressed on hemopoietic cells, Killer Ig-like receptors
(KIR) are expressed in cytotoxic lymphocytes but other LRC molecules (Ig-l
ike transcript(ILT)leukocyte Ig-like receptor (LIR)) are more ubiquitous. W
e investigated expression of the ILT2/LIR1 inhibitory receptor compared wit
h the related KIR, Both ILT2/LIR1 and KIR were expressed by peripheral CD8(
+) T cells with a memory/effector phenotype. ILT2/LIR1(+) T cells demonstra
ted diverse TCRBV repertoires in contrast to KIR+ T cells, while numbers of
peripheral ILT2/LIR1(+) T cells were greater than KIR+ T cells and the maj
ority of ILT2/LIR1(+) T cells did not coexpress KIR, Analysis of CD8(+) T c
ells with specific HLA class I tetramers confirmed this pattern of expressi
on, indicating differential regulation of LRC gene expression in T lymphocy
tes, Only a minor proportion of TLT2/LIR1(+) KIR- clones survived in vitro
cloning, were more susceptible to anti-CD3 or cognate peptide induced cell
death than KIR+ T cells and exhibited lower levels of the Bcl-2 survival mo
lecule. Our results indicate a sequential program of LRC-encoded receptor e
xpression with initial ILT2/LIR1 expression in effector T cells and KIR gen
e transcription in the minor proportion of expanded clones which survives a
ctivation-induced cell death to become long term memory T cells.