KIR+ NK Maturation
Gene co-expression module in Natural Killer cells
| Category | Immune regulation |
|---|---|
| Genes | 12 |
| Annotation certainty | 4 of 5 |
| Annotation consistency | 7 of 12 genes have a known function matching the annotation |
Why this annotation
Four KIR genes (KIR3DL1, KIR2DL1, KIR3DL2, KIR2DL3) dominate this module — all inhibitory killer immunoglobulin-like receptors that define mature NK cell subsets and regulate cytotoxic licensing. LAIR2 is a soluble decoy receptor that competes with inhibitory LAIR1, modulating NK inhibition. PTGDS (prostaglandin D2 synthase) is expressed in mature NK cells and has immunomodulatory roles. MT2A is a metallothionein induced by inflammation. The module is strongly upregulated in UC/CD inflammation and markedly reduced in remission, suggesting expansion of KIR+ mature NK cells during intestinal inflammation.
Genes
AXIN1, ENC1, FAM53B, GTF3C1, KIR2DL1, KIR2DL3, KIR3DL1, KIR3DL2, LAIR2, MT2A, PTGDS, TMBIM1
Most correlated modules
- Cytotoxic NK Maturation · correlation 0.84
- NK Cell Maturation · correlation 0.76
- NK Activation Signaling · correlation 0.76
- NK Cell Exhaustion · correlation 0.76
- NK Degranulation Activation · correlation 0.75
- Granulysin Cytotoxic Effector · correlation 0.74
- NK Homing Adhesion · correlation 0.73
- NK Activation Signaling · correlation 0.72
Module annotations were drafted by a large language model from the module's genes, then reviewed and approved by a domain expert. See sources & licences.