Fc Receptor Like Protein 6 (FCRL6)

FcRL6 contains a novel cytoplasmic cysteine-rich motif and recruits SHP-2 through a phosphorylated ITIM, indicating a potential signaling function in effector lymphocytes.FcRL6 does not greatly influence NK-cell or CD8(+) T-cell-mediated cytotoxicity and has minimal impact on cytokine secretion. FcRL6 expression among T lymphocytes is greatly expanded in HIV-1-infected individuals, and includes not only effector and effector-memory CD8(+) T cells but also populations of CD4(+) T cells. Expansion of FcRL6-positive lymphocytes is not related to viral load, but is indicative of the dysregulated expansion of terminally differentiated effector lymphocyte populations in response to chronic HIV-1 infection and may serve as an important marker for chronic immune activation and for tracking the generation of effector cells following immune stimulation.