Reconstitution of a ligand-binding competent murine NKp30 receptor.

The activating natural cytotoxicity receptors on natural killer (NK) cells play a fundamental role in immunosurveillance of infections and cancer. Phylogenetic analyses showed that NKp30 is highly conserved in almost all jawed vertebrates and thus, represents one of the most ancient NK cell receptors. However, in contrast to other higher vertebrates, NKp30 is only a pseudogene in mouse, which contains two premature stop codons.

Natural Killer Group 2D Ligand Depletion Reconstitutes Natural Killer Cell Immunosurveillance of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a highly heterogeneous and aggressive tumor originating from the epithelial lining of the upper aero-digestive tract accounting for 300,000 annual deaths worldwide due to failure of current therapies. The natural killer group 2D (NKG2D) receptors on natural killer (NK) cells and several T cell subsets play an important role for immunosurveillance of HNSCC and are thus targeted by tumor immune evasion strategies in particular by shedding of various NKG2D ligands (NKG2DLs). Based on plasma and tumor samples of 44 HNSCC patients, we found that despite compositional heterogeneity the total plasma level of NKG2DLs correlates with NK cell inhibition and disease progression.

The Stalk Domain of NKp30 Contributes to Ligand Binding and Signaling of a Preassembled NKp30-CD3ζ Complex.

The natural cytotoxicity receptor (NCR) NKp30 (CD337) is a key player for NK cell immunosurveillance of infections and cancer. The molecular details of ligand recognition and its connection to CD3ζ signaling remain unsolved. Here, we show that the stalk domain (KEHPQLGAGTVLLLR) of NKp30 is very sensitive to sequence alterations, as mutations lead to impaired ligand binding and/or signaling capacity.