Application of a novel branched-DNA assay to quantify killer immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) mRNA expression identifies tissue compartmentalization in naive and SIV-infected rhesus macaques.

ABSTRACT: Natural killer and cytotoxic CD8+ T cells are essential effectors of innate systemic antiviral and antitumor immune responses. Their effector functions and target cell recognition are partly regulated by a polymorphic family of activating and inhibitory killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) that interact with major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules. In Rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) (RM), a well-established model for studying simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection and cellular immunobiology, the KIR gene family is highly diverse but remains poorly characterized across tissue compartments. In this study, we used a branched DNA, amplification-free assay with high specificity and reproducibility to simultaneously measure mRNA expression of six KIR genes (M

SUBMITTER: Terry K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12840321 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature