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. 2018 Apr 17;154(4):557–562. doi: 10.1111/imm.12928

Figure 1.

Figure 1

Interactions of surface receptors on natural killer (NK) cells with dengue viruses (DENV). Following DENV infection, viral antigens and viral peptides loaded on HLA molecules are detected on the surface of infected cells. Soluble factors released by DENV‐infected cells can stimulate NK cells. Specific viral peptides on the NS1 and NS3 proteins presented on HLA‐B57 and HLA‐C0102 have been identified and found to interact with KIR3DL1 and KIR2DS2, inhibitory and activating killer cell immunoglobulin‐like receptors (KIRs), respectively. Other yet to be identified DENV peptides will be presented on HLA alleles, and could interact with KIRs and modulate NK cell function. The E protein of DENV can directly interact with activating receptor NKp44. CD16 present on NK cells can bind the Fc portion of antibodies and mediate antibody‐dependent cell‐mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) by recognizing DENV antigens on the surface of infected cells. DENV‐induced expression of HLA‐E on infected or bystander cells can interact with CD94/NKG2a, and maintain inhibition of NK cells or interact with the CD94/NKG2c receptors and activate NK cells.