Identification of a human member of the Ly‐49 multigene family

Three classes of multigene family‐encoded receptors enable NK cells to discriminate between polymorphic MHC class I molecules: Ly‐49 homodimers, CD94/NKG2 heterodimers and the killer cell inhibitory receptors (KIR). Of these, CD94/NKG2 has been characterized in both rodents and humans. In contrast,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European journal of immunology 1998-06, Vol.28 (6), p.1839-1846
Main Authors: Westgaard, Ingunn Hagen, Berg, Siri Fuglem, Ørstavik, Sigurd, Fossum, Sigbjørn, Dissen, Erik
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alternative Splicing
Amino Acid Sequence
Animals
Antigens, Ly - classification
Antigens, Ly - genetics
Base Sequence
Chromosome Mapping
C‐type lectin
DNA, Complementary
Exons
Human
Humans
Killer Cells, Natural - metabolism
Mice
Molecular Sequence Data
Multigene Family
Natural killer cell
Natural killer cell gene complex
Rats
Sequence Analysis, DNA
Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
Transcription, Genetic
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Summary:Three classes of multigene family‐encoded receptors enable NK cells to discriminate between polymorphic MHC class I molecules: Ly‐49 homodimers, CD94/NKG2 heterodimers and the killer cell inhibitory receptors (KIR). Of these, CD94/NKG2 has been characterized in both rodents and humans. In contrast, Ly‐49 family members have hitherto been found only in rodents, and KIR molecules only in the human. In this report, we describe a human cDNA, termed Ly‐49L, that constitutes the first human member of the Ly‐49 multigene family. Compared with rodent Ly‐49 molecules, the Ly‐49L sequence contains a premature stop codon and predicts a truncated protein that lacks the distal part of a C‐terminal lectin domain. Evidence is presented that the premature stop codon results from incomplete excision of the intron between the first two lectin domain exons. Splice variants predicting a full‐size Ly‐49L protein were not detected. As demonstrated by Northern blot analysis, Ly‐49L was transcribed by IL‐2‐activated NK cells, but not by freshly isolated B or T cells. PCR screening of a 22‐clone yeast artificial chromosome contig localized the LY49L locus to the human NK gene complex on chromosome 12p12‐p13. Southern blot analysis of genomic DNA showed a simple pattern with a full‐length Ly‐49L probe at low stringency hybridization conditions, suggesting that Ly‐49L may be the only human member of the Ly‐49 multigene family.
ISSN:0014-2980
1521-4141
DOI:10.1002/(SICI)1521-4141(199806)28:06<1839::AID-IMMU1839>3.0.CO;2-E