Recombinant Proteins for Killer Cell Receptor Research

AMSBIO announces a suite of high quality proteins and biotinylated proteins for research into killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors. Killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs), are a family of type I transmembrane glycoproteins expressed on the plasma membrane of Natural Killer (NK) cells and a minority of T cells. They regulate the killing function of these cells by interacting with major histocompatibility (MHC) class I molecules, which are expressed on all nucleated cell types. KIR receptors can distinguish between MHC class I allelic variants, which allows them to detect virally infected cells or transformed cells. Most KIRs are inhibitory, meaning that their recognition of MHC molecules suppresses the cytotoxic activity of their NK cell. Only a limited number of KIRs are activating, meaning that their recognition of MHC molecules activates the cytotoxic activity of their cell. As a result of KIR's role in killing unhealthy self-cells and not killing healthy self-cells, KIRs are involved ...