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Adaptive immune features of natural killer cells

Author

Listed:
  • Joseph C. Sun

    (University of California, San Francisco, California 94143, USA)

  • Joshua N. Beilke

    (University of California, San Francisco, California 94143, USA)

  • Lewis L. Lanier

    (University of California, San Francisco, California 94143, USA)

Abstract

In an adaptive immune response, naive T cells proliferate during infection and generate long-lived memory cells that undergo secondary expansion after a repeat encounter with the same pathogen. Although natural killer (NK) cells have traditionally been classified as cells of the innate immune system, they share many similarities with cytotoxic T lymphocytes. We use a mouse model of cytomegalovirus infection to show that, like T cells, NK cells bearing the virus-specific Ly49H receptor proliferate 100-fold in the spleen and 1,000-fold in the liver after infection. After a contraction phase, Ly49H-positive NK cells reside in lymphoid and non-lymphoid organs for several months. These self-renewing ‘memory’ NK cells rapidly degranulate and produce cytokines on reactivation. Adoptive transfer of these NK cells into naive animals followed by viral challenge results in a robust secondary expansion and protective immunity. These findings reveal properties of NK cells that were previously attributed only to cells of the adaptive immune system.

Suggested Citation

  • Joseph C. Sun & Joshua N. Beilke & Lewis L. Lanier, 2009. "Adaptive immune features of natural killer cells," Nature, Nature, vol. 457(7229), pages 557-561, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:457:y:2009:i:7229:d:10.1038_nature07665
    DOI: 10.1038/nature07665
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    Cited by:

    1. Kaifan Bao & Xiaoqun Gu & Yajun Song & Yijing Zhou & Yanyan Chen & Xi Yu & Weiyuan Yuan & Liyun Shi & Jie Zheng & Min Hong, 2024. "TCF-1 and TOX regulate the memory formation of intestinal group 2 innate lymphoid cells in asthma," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-19, December.
    2. Sonwabile Dzanibe & Aaron J. Wilk & Susan Canny & Thanmayi Ranganath & Berenice Alinde & Florian Rubelt & Huang Huang & Mark M. Davis & Susan P. Holmes & Heather B. Jaspan & Catherine A. Blish & Clive, 2024. "Premature skewing of T cell receptor clonality and delayed memory expansion in HIV-exposed infants," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-15, December.
    3. Calum Forrest & Thomas J. G. Chase & Antonia O. Cuff & Dionas Maroulis & Reza Motallebzadeh & Amir Gander & Brian Davidson & Paul Griffiths & Victoria Male & Matthew Reeves, 2023. "Control of human cytomegalovirus replication by liver resident natural killer cells," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    4. Carmen Rožmanić & Berislav Lisnić & Marina Pribanić Matešić & Andrea Mihalić & Lea Hiršl & Eugene Park & Ana Lesac Brizić & Daniela Indenbirken & Ina Viduka & Marina Šantić & Barbara Adler & Wayne M. , 2023. "Perinatal murine cytomegalovirus infection reshapes the transcriptional profile and functionality of NK cells," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-17, December.
    5. Tsukasa Nabekura & Elfira Amalia Deborah & Saeko Tahara & Yuya Arai & Paul E. Love & Koichiro Kako & Akiyoshi Fukamizu & Masafumi Muratani & Akira Shibuya, 2023. "Themis2 regulates natural killer cell memory function and formation," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-17, December.

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