NLRC5: a newly discovered MHC class I transactivator (CITA).

Torsten B Meissner, Amy Li, Koichi S Kobayashi

Department of Cancer Immunology & AIDS, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Dana 1420A, Boston, MA 02215, United States.

Microbes and infection / Institut Pasteur 2012 Jun

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Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and class II are crucial for the function of the human adaptive immune system. An NLR protein, CIITA (MHC class II transactivator), is a master regulator of MHC class II gene expression as well as of some of the genes involved in MHC class II antigen presentation. It has recently been discovered that another member of the NLR protein family, NLRC5, transcriptionally activates MHC class I genes, and thus acts as "CITA" (MHC class I transactivator), a counterpart to CIITA. In addition to MHC class I genes, NLRC5 can induce the expression of β2M, TAP1 and LMP2, essential components of MHC class I antigen presentation. These findings indicate that NLRC5 and CIITA are transcriptional regulators that orchestrate the concerted expression of critical components in the MHC class I and MHC class II pathways, respectively. Copyright © 2011 Institut Pasteur. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Citation

Torsten B Meissner, Amy Li, Koichi S Kobayashi. NLRC5: a newly discovered MHC class I transactivator (CITA). Microbes and infection / Institut Pasteur. 2012 Jun;14(6):477-84