Description
KLRK1 is an activating receptor that has recently generated considerable interest. The most intriguing of these are a pair of closely related proteins called MICA and MICB. These are cell-surface molecules distantly related to MHC class I proteins, and the genes possess elements of heat shock promoters. MICA and MICB, therefore, are expressed during cell stress and are up-regulated in tumor cells and during viral infections. This receptor-ligand combination may play a critical role in the immune response to a variety of pathologies.
