Peptide-specific recognition of human cytomegalovirus strains controls adaptive natural killer cells

Item Type:	Article
Title:	Peptide-specific recognition of human cytomegalovirus strains controls adaptive natural killer cells
Creators Name:	Hammer, Q. and Rückert, T. and Borst, E.M. and Dunst, J. and Haubner, A. and Durek, P. and Heinrich, F. and Gasparoni, G. and Babic, M. and Tomic, A. and Pietra, G. and Nienen, M. and Blau, I.W. and Hofmann, J. and Na, I.K. and Prinz, I. and Koenecke, C. and Hemmati, P. and Babel, N. and Arnold, R. and Walter, J. and Thurley, K. and Mashreghi, M.F. and Messerle, M. and Romagnani, C.
Abstract:	Natural killer (NK) cells are innate lymphocytes that lack antigen-specific rearranged receptors, a hallmark of adaptive lymphocytes. In some people infected with human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), an NK cell subset expressing the activating receptor NKG2C undergoes clonal-like expansion that partially resembles anti-viral adaptive responses. However, the viral ligand that drives the activation and differentiation of adaptive NKG2C(+) NK cells has remained unclear. Here we found that adaptive NKG2C(+) NK cells differentially recognized distinct HCMV strains encoding variable UL40 peptides that, in combination with pro-inflammatory signals, controlled the population expansion and differentiation of adaptive NKG2C(+) NK cells. Thus, we propose that polymorphic HCMV peptides contribute to shaping of the heterogeneity of adaptive NKG2C(+) NK cell populations among HCMV-seropositive people.
Keywords:	Cytomegalovirus, Cytomegalovirus Infections, Natural Killer Cells, NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily C, Viral Proteins
Source:	Nature Immunology
ISSN:	1529-2908
Publisher:	Nature Publishing Group
Volume:	19
Number:	5
Page Range:	453-463
Date:	May 2018
Official Publication:	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41590-018-0082-6
PubMed:	View item in PubMed

Repository Staff Only: item control page