Hybridoma 16a11, Producing Monoclonal Antibody Specific For Mouse Nkg2a

Abstract

This invention concerns a hybridoma producing a mouse (IgG2b, kappa) monoclonal antibody specific for the mouse NKG2A receptor. The antibody reacts with the C57Bl/6 allele of NKG2A. NKG2A pairs with the CD94 subunit, and is expressed on the surface of approximately 50% of NK cells and a small subset of T cells. Ligand binding to NKG2A/CD94 inhibits NK cell activity. There are two closely related receptors that also form heterodimers with CD94, NKG2C, and NKG2E. This antibody is specific for the inhibitory isoform and does not cross react on the other two. The Nkg2a gene in monoallelically expressed, in that a given NK cell usually expresses only one of the two possible alleles.

Reference;
Vance et al. 2002. PNAS 99:868-73.

Applications

The 16a11 antibody is useful for staining the NK cells and/or T cells from C57/B16 mice that express the mouse NKG2A receptor. It does not cross-react with NKG2C or NKG2E.