Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42867135›Full record

ArticleeLife2026

Allosteric disulfide control of ligand binding and endocytosis of KIR2DL4, the natural killer cell receptor for HLA-G.

Sumati Rajagopalan, Joyce Chiu, Priyanka Chaurasia, Jinghua Lu, George M Mastorakos, Saurav Majumder, Kristof T Nolan, Jan Petersen, Erin J Adams, Peter D Sun and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in eLife, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Sumati RajagopalanMolecular and Cellular Immunology Section, Laboratory of Immunogenetics, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, United States.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0002-7690-2767
Joyce ChiuCentenary Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8910-8664
Priyanka ChaurasiaInfection and Immunity Program and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3755-159X
Jinghua LuStructural Immunology Section, Laboratory of Immunogenetics, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, United States.
George M MastorakosMolecular and Cellular Immunology Section, Laboratory of Immunogenetics, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, United States.
Saurav MajumderMolecular and Cellular Immunology Section, Laboratory of Immunogenetics, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, United States.
Kristof T NolanDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, United States.
Jan PetersenInfection and Immunity Program and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Australia.
Erin J AdamsDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, United States.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6271-8574
Peter D SunStructural Immunology Section, Laboratory of Immunogenetics, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, United States.
Jamie RossjohnInfection and Immunity Program and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Australia.
Philip J HoggCentenary Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Eric O LongMolecular and Cellular Immunology Section, Laboratory of Immunogenetics, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, United States.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7793-3728

Funding

Regulation of innate lymphocyte functionZIAAI000525 · NIAID · NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES · PI LONG, ERIC O · 2009 to 2024
$12.0M
Molecular and functional investigation of the role of HLA-F in immune regulationR01AI170952 · NIAID · UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO · PI ADAMS, ERIN JUNE · 2022 to 2025
$3.4M
Intramural NIH HHS ZIA AI000525National Health and Medical Research Council 2008981National Health and Medical Research Council 2026631National Heart Foundation of Australia 110585-2025National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases RO1 AI170952NIAID NIH HHS R01 AI170952NIH HHS ZIA AI000525NSW Cardiovascular Research Capacity Program Senior Researcher GrantSt George and Sutherland Medical Research Foundation RG254054
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA)-G is selectively expressed by fetal trophoblast cells that encounter maternal natural killer (NK) cells early in pregnancy. In response to HLA-G, the endosomal NK cell receptor KIR2DL4 induces a transcriptional program to support placental development. Structural features of KIR2DL4 that control HLA-G binding and endocytosis are unclear. Random mutagenesis revealed that three cysteines in the first immunoglobulin domain of KIR2DL4 regulate endocytosis and uptake of HLA-G. The atypical Cys10-Cys28 disulfide bond in the KIR2DL4 structure is an allosteric disulfide with potential to switch to a conventional Cys28-Cys74 bond. KIR2DL4 in human cells exists in both disulfide-bonded states, as shown by mass spectrometry analysis. The Cys10-Cys28 bond in a Cys74Ser KIR2DL4 mutant was reduced by protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) in vitro. Inhibition of PDI prevented HLA-G uptake by KIR2DL4 in NK cells. Mutants in the Cys10-Cys28 configuration endocytosed spontaneously but did not bind HLA-G. Conversely, KIR2DL4 with a Cys28-Cys74 bond was detectable at the plasma membrane and internalized soluble HLA-G. A purified Cys10Leu KIR2DL4 mutant bound HLA-G with micromolar affinity in a peptide-dependent manner. Thus, allosteric disulfide-mediated conversion from an inactive to an HLA-G binding form regulates KIR2DL4 trafficking and a functional response that promotes fetal development.

Indexed as

DisulfidesEndocytosisHLA-G AntigensKiller Cells, NaturalReceptors, KIR2DL4Allosteric RegulationHumansLigandsProtein BindingDisulfidesHLA-G AntigensKIR2DL4 protein, humanLigandsReceptors, KIR2DL4allosteric disulfidecell biologyfetal developmentHLA-GhumanimmunologyinflammationKIR2DL4natural killer cellreproduction

Identifiers

PMID42867135
PMCPMC13661046

What OpenQuestion holds

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Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.