The NK receptor KLRG1 is dispensable for virus‐induced NK and CD8+ T‐cell differentiation and function in vivo

• Published in: European journal of immunology 2010-05, Vol.40 (5), p.1303-1314
• Main Authors: Gründemann, Carsten, Schwartzkopff, Sabrina, Koschella, Marie, Schweier, Oliver, Peters, Christoph, Voehringer, David, Pircher, Hanspeter
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adoptive Transfer; Animals; Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte - analysis; Cadherins - physiology; CD8 antigen; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes - immunology; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes - transplantation; Cell differentiation; Crosses, Genetic; Female; Herpesviridae Infections - immunology; Homologous recombination; Immunologic Memory - physiology; Killer cell lectin‐like receptor G1; Killer Cells, Natural - immunology; KLRG1 protein; Lymphocytes; Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis - immunology; Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus - immunology; Lymphopoiesis - physiology; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Knockout; Mice, Transgenic; Muromegalovirus - immunology; NK cells; Receptors, Immunologic - analysis; Receptors, Immunologic - deficiency; Receptors, Immunologic - genetics; Receptors, Immunologic - physiology; Recombinant Fusion Proteins - physiology; Recombination, Genetic; Rhabdoviridae Infections - immunology; Rodent; Rodents; T cell receptors; T cells; Transgenic mice; Vesicular stomatitis Indiana virus - immunology; Viral infections
• ISSN: 0014-2980; 1521-4141
• DOI: 10.1002/eji.200939771

The killer cell lectin‐like receptor G1 (KLRG1) is expressed by NK and T‐cell subsets and recognizes members of the classical cadherin family. KLRG1 is widely used as a lymphocyte differentiation marker in both humans and mice but the physiological role of KLRG1 in vivo is still unclear. Here, we generated KLRG1‐deficient mice by homologous recombination and used several infection models for their characterization. The results revealed that KLRG1 deficiency did not affect development and function of NK cells examined under various conditions. KLRG1 was also dispensable for normal CD8+ T‐cell differentiation and function after viral infections. Thus, KLRG1 is a marker for distinct NK and T‐cell differentiation stages but it does not play a deterministic role in the generation and functional characteristics of these lymphocyte subsets. In addition, we demonstrate that E‐cadherin expressed by K562 target cells inhibited NK‐cell reactivity in transgenic mice over‐expressing KLRG1 but not in KLRG1‐deficient or WT mice. Hence, the inhibitory potential of KLRG1 in mice is rather weak and strong activation signals during viral infections may override the inhibitory signal in vivo.