Background:
NK1.1,a member of the NKRPI family of cell surface receptors,is a type II integral membrane protein with a C type lectin domain. It is expressed as a disulfide linked homodimer on all NK cells,as well as subsets of thymocytes and peripheral T lymphocytes in selected strains of mice (e.g.,C57/BL6,FVB/N,NZB; but not A,AKR,BALB/c,CBA/J,C3H,C57BR,C58,DBA/1,DBA/2,SJL,129). NK1.1 mediates cellular activation and differentiation,and is thought to have a particular role in generating Th2 cells.