Investigating the Binding Specificity of Polymorphic KIR Alleles with Potential Ligands

Abstract

Natural killer (NK) cells are an important part of the immune response and play a vital role in the defense against viral pathogens. NK cell function is characterized by its ability to regulate cytotoxicity and modulate adaptive immunity. NK cell responses are regulated by interaction between highly polymorphic killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I ligands. Non-human primates are a vital model for infectious diseases and NK cell research. However, this research is limited by a lack of defined ligands. In this project, I tested the ligand binding of polymorphic KIR alleles against a panel of Mamu-A and Mamu-B ligands using JNL assays. This will give insight into defining functional differences between allotypes and what may cause these differences.