Quantifying the reduction in accessibility of the inhibitory NK cell receptor Ly49A caused by binding MHC class I proteins in cis.

Murine natural killer (NK) cells are inhibited by target cell MHC class I molecules via Ly49 receptors. However, Ly49 receptors can be made inaccessible to target cell MHC class I by a cis interaction with its MHC class I ligand within the NK cell membrane. It has recently been demonstrated that MHC class I proteins transfer from the target cells to the NK cell. Here, we establish that the number of transferred MHC class I proteins is proportional to the number of Ly49A receptors at the NK cell surface. Ly49A+ NK cells from mice expressing the Ly49A ligand H-2D(d) showed a 90% reduction in Ly49A accessibility compared to Ly49A+ NK cells from H-2D(d)-negative mice. The reduction was caused both by lower expression of Ly49A and interactions in cis between Ly49A and H-2D(d) at the NK cell surface. Approximately 75% of the Ly49A receptors on H-2D(d)-expressing NK cells were occupied in cis with endogenous H-2D(d) and only 25% were free to interact with H-2D(d) molecules in trans. Thus, H-2D(d) ligands control Ly49A receptor accessibility through interactions both in cis and in trans.