H5-type influenza virus hemagglutinin is functionally recognized by the natural killer-activating receptor NKp44.

Joanna W Ho (1) , Oren Hershkovitz (2) , Malik Peiris (1, 3) , Alon Zilka (2) , Ahuva Bar-Ilan (2) , Beatrice Nal (1) , Kid Chu (1) , Mateusz Kudelko (1) , Yiu Wing Kam (1) , Hagit Achdout (4) , Michal Mandelboim (5) , Ralf Altmeyer (1, 6) , Ofer Mandelboim (4) , Roberto Bruzzone (1) , Angel Porgador (2)

1 Centre de recherche Université de Hong-Kong-Pasteur
2 Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology and Immunology
3 Department of Microbiology [HKU]
4 Lautenberg Center for General and Tumor Immunology
5 Central Virology Laboratory
6 CombinatoRx

Antiviral immune defenses involve natural killer (NK) cells. We previously showed that the NK-activating receptor NKp44 is involved in the functional recognition of H1-type influenza virus strains by NK cells. In the present study, we investigated the interaction of NKp44 and the hemagglutinin of a primary influenza virus H5N1 isolate. Here we show that recombinant NKp44 recognizes H5-expressing cells and specifically interacts with soluble H5 hemagglutinin. H5-pseudotyped lentiviral particles bind to NK cells expressing NKp44. Following interaction with target cells expressing H5, pseudotyped lentiviral particles, or membrane-associated H5, NK cells show NKp44-mediated induced activity. These findings indicate that NKp44-H5 interactions induce functional NK activation.

Domains: Virology

Joanna W Ho, Oren Hershkovitz, Malik Peiris, Alon Zilka, Ahuva Bar-Ilan, et al.. H5-type influenza virus hemagglutinin is functionally recognized by the natural killer-activating receptor NKp44.. Journal of Virology, 2008, 82 (4), pp.2028-32. ⟨10.1128/JVI.02065-07⟩. ⟨pasteur-00588964⟩