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SUMMARY:NK cells: turning off the off switch - Professor Salim Khakoo\, Un
 iversity of Southampton
DTSTART:20120222T123000Z
DTEND:20120222T133000Z
UID:TALK35125@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Sue Griffin
DESCRIPTION:Natural killer cells are key players in the immune response to
  viral infections.  Their functions are regulated by cell surface activati
 ng and inhibitory receptors.  Crucially the inhibitory receptors appear to
  play a key part in their maturation and in the regulation of their functi
 ons in response to target cells.  The ligands for these inhibitory recepto
 rs are MHC Class I molecules.  These include both polymorphic HLA-A\, -B a
 nd –C molecules\, which interact the killer cell immunoglobulin-like rec
 eptors (KIR) and also the conserved HLA-E molecule\, which is the ligand f
 or the inhibitory receptor NKG2A.  Cell surface down-regulation of MHC cla
 ss I can lead to activation of NK cells expressing these inhibitory recept
 ors.  \n\nHowever\, although NKG2A and KIR are from distinct gene families
 \, both receptors are sensitive to the peptide bound by MHC Class I such t
 hat some peptides that bind MHC class I are not permissive for KIR or fro 
 NKG2A binding.  \n\nWe have investigated how these different receptors res
 pond to cognate and non-cognate peptides presented by MHC class I.  We fin
 d that peptides that bind HLA-C\, but are not permissive for KIR binding c
 an act as peptide antagonists.  Conversely peptides that bind HLA-E\, but 
 are not permissive for NKG2A binding act as synergists.  \n\nThus\, unexpe
 ctedly\, peptide selectivity results in functionally different outcomes fo
 r these two classes of inhibitory receptors for MHC class I.\n
LOCATION:Lecture Theatre\, Department of Pathology\, Tennis Court Road
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