TY - JOUR
T1 - KIR antisense transcripts are processed into a 28-base PIWI-like RNA in human NK cells
AU - Cichocki, Frank
AU - Lenvik, Todd
AU - Sharma, Neeraj
AU - Yun, Gong
AU - Anderson, Stephen K.
AU - Miller, Jeffrey S.
PY - 2010/8/15
Y1 - 2010/8/15
N2 - Killer Ig-like receptors (KIRs) are expressed in a variegated, clonally restricted fashion on NK cells and are important determinants of NK cell function. Although silencing of individual KIR genes is strongly correlated with the presence of CpG dinucleotide methylation within the promoter, the mechanism responsible for silencing has not been identified. Our results show that antisense transcripts mediate KIR transcriptional silencing through a novel PIWI-like 28-base small RNA. Although PIWI RNA-mediated silencing of transposable elements within germ cells have been described, this is the first report that identifies a PIWI-like RNA in an immune somatic cell lineage and identifies a mechanism that may be broadly used in orchestrating immune development.
AB - Killer Ig-like receptors (KIRs) are expressed in a variegated, clonally restricted fashion on NK cells and are important determinants of NK cell function. Although silencing of individual KIR genes is strongly correlated with the presence of CpG dinucleotide methylation within the promoter, the mechanism responsible for silencing has not been identified. Our results show that antisense transcripts mediate KIR transcriptional silencing through a novel PIWI-like 28-base small RNA. Although PIWI RNA-mediated silencing of transposable elements within germ cells have been described, this is the first report that identifies a PIWI-like RNA in an immune somatic cell lineage and identifies a mechanism that may be broadly used in orchestrating immune development.
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U2 - 10.4049/jimmunol.1000855
DO - 10.4049/jimmunol.1000855
M3 - Article
C2 - 20631304
AN - SCOPUS:77956925786
SN - 0022-1767
VL - 185
SP - 2009
EP - 2012
JO - Journal of Immunology
JF - Journal of Immunology
IS - 4
ER -