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Development of Natural Killer cells

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Molecular Basis of Hematopoiesis

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Abstract

Natural killer cells are found in blood, lymphoid organs, liver, lungs and uterus, where they participate in several aspects of health and disease. During development, NK cells express a set of genes that encode for cell surface receptors, which interact with other cell surface molecules within the individual, between individuals and across genomes. Examples of the elements recognized by NK cells are self-MHC antigens during NK cell maturation, stress-inducible ligands during infections or tumour transformation, donor antigens on tissue grafts, paternal antigens at the feto—maternal interface and viral products. The nature of these interactions sets the threshold for NK cell activation, which in turn has downstream consequences on innate immunity and adaptive responses. Being endowed with these important recognition systems and instant effector function potential, NK cells have taken centre stage in modern medicine as they participate in infection, reproduction, transplantation, autoimmunity and cancer. This chapter reviews the basics of NK cell development, with an emphasis on murine cells.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lymphocyte Signalling and Development Laboratory, The Babraham Institute, CB22 3AT, Cambridge, UK

    Francesco Colucci

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  1. Francesco Colucci
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Correspondence to Francesco Colucci .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, MC2115, University of Chicago, 5841 S. Maryland Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60637

    Amittha Wickrema

  2. Department of Pathology, MC1089, University of Chicago, 5841 S. Maryland Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60637

    Barbara Kee

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Colucci, F. (2009). Development of Natural Killer cells. In: Wickrema, A., Kee, B. (eds) Molecular Basis of Hematopoiesis. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-85816-6_9

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