NKG2D ligand (NKG2D)

Function

• ligand for NKG2D receptor
• ULBPs activate multiple signaling pathways in primary NK cells, resulting in production of cytokines & chemokines
• binding of ULBPs ligands to NKG2D induces Ca+2 mobilization & activation of JAK2, STAT5, ERK & PI3K kinase/Akt signal transduction pathway
• does not bind to beta2-microglobulin
• unlikely to present peptides

Structure

• belongs to the MHC class I family
• ULBPs are unusual members of the extended MHC class 1 superfamily, because they do not contain the alpha 3 domain & they lack a transmembrane domain

Compartment

cell membrane, GPI-anchor

Genetics

• region from chromosome 6q24.1-6q25.3 contains as many as 10 ULBP-related sequences, many of which are pseudogenes

More general terms

• glypiated protein

More specific terms

• NKG2D ligand 1 (UL16-binding protein 1, NKG2DL1, N2DL-1, ALCAN-beta, retinoic acid early transcript 1I, ULBP1, N2DL1, RAET1I)
• NKG2D ligand 2 (UL16-binding protein 2, NKG2DL2, N2DL-2, ALCAN-alpha, retinoic acid early transcript 1H, ULBP2, N2DL2, RAET1H, UNQ463/PRO791)
• NKG2D ligand 3 (NKG2D ligand 3, NKG2DL3, N2DL-3, ALCAN-gamma, retinoic acid early transcript 1N, ULBP3, N2DL3, RAET1N)

Additional terms

• CD314; NKG2-D type II integral membrane protein; NKG2-D-activating NK receptor; NK cell receptor D; killer cell lectin-like receptor subfamily K member 1 (KLRK1, D12S2489E, NKG2D)