Leukocyte Immunoglobulin Like Receptor Subfamily A, Member 3 (LILRA3)

Leukocyte Ig-like receptors (LIRs) are a family of immunoreceptors expressed predominantly on monocytes and B cells and at lower levels on dendritic cells and natural killer (NK) cells. All LIRs in subfamily B have an inhibitory function . LIRs in subfamily A, with short cytoplasmic domains lacking an immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motif (ITIM) and with transmembrane regions containing a charged arginine residue, may initiate stimulatory cascades .One member of subfamily A (LILRA3) lacks a transmembrane region and is presumed to be a soluble receptor .Using Southern blot analysis of human genomic DNA and screening of peripheral blood mononuclear and dendritic cell cDNA libraries with LILRB1 and LILRA2 cDNA probes, Borges et al. cloned 8 members of the LIR gene family.