Identification and functional characterization of proteins associated with membrane fractions surrounding activating and inhibitory Natural Killer cell receptors

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Natural Killer (NK) cells play an important role in the immune response against viral infections and cancer. The function of NK cells is regulated by a balance of positive and negative signals transmitted by activating or inhibitory cell surface receptors. The membrane domains surrounding these receptors play an integral role in the regulation of NK cell activity. While activating receptors need to associate with specialized membrane domains (Detergent resistant membrane fractions and GM1- rich microdomains) in order to activate NK cell functions, inhibitory receptors prevent the association of activating receptors with these domains and thereby control NK cell activity. We will therefore study the distribution of membrane microdomains during NK cell activation and inhibition. By identification and functional characterization of specific protein components of membrane domains surrounding activating and inhibitory receptors in NK cells we aim to get a better understanding of NK cell regulation and to identify novel targets for the manipulation of NK cell activity.