Figure 3.

Adaptive NK Cells in NKG2C^−/− Donors Share Most Attributes of NKG2C-Expressing Adaptive NK Cells

(A) NKG2A and KIR repertoire in conventional (left column) and adaptive (right column) NK cells of NKG2C^−/− donors.

(B and C) Frequency of NKG2A⁺ NK cells (B) and educated cells (C) in adaptive and conventional NK cells of NKG2C⁺ and NKG2C^−/− donors.

(D) Representative intracellular IFN-γ production by conventional and adaptive NK cells in NKG2C⁺ (n = 16) and NKG2C^−/− (n = 11) donors after overnight stimulation with IL-12 and IL-18.

(E–G) Functional assay of conventional CD56^dim NK cells as compared to adaptive NK cells from HCMV⁺NKG2C⁺ (n = 16) or HCMV⁺NKG2C^−/− (n = 11) donors. Cell-surface expression of CD107a (E) and intracellular expression of TNF (F) and IFN-γ. (G) were assessed after 6 hr of stimulation with K562 target cells or RAJI target cells in the presence of anti-CD20 (rituximab, 1 μg/ml).

(H) CpG methylation profile relative to transcriptional start site (TSS) of the IFN-γ promoter in adaptive NK cells compared to NKG2A^– and NKG2A⁺CD57^– subsets. Four NKG2C^−/− and six NKG2C^+/+ donors were analyzed. The error bars represent the SEM.