Leukocyte Immunoglobulin Like Receptor Subfamily A, Member 4 (LILRA4)

LILRA4 encodes an immunoglobulin-like cell surface protein preferentially expressed in plasmacytoid dendritic cells (PDCs). This gene is highly expressed in PDCs, and is found to be rapidly down-regulated by interleukin 3 (IL3). This gene is one of the 19 highly related genes that form a leukocyte receptor gene cluster (LRC) at chromosomal region 19q13.4.By subtractive hybridization, Rissoan et al. (2002) identified LILRA4, which they designated ILT7, as 1 of several transcripts expressed at high levels in plasmacytoid dendritic cells (PDCs). In addition to PDCs, RT-PCR detected expression in monocytes and activated B lymphocytes, but not in monocyte-derived dendritic cells. Weak expression was observed in thymus cDNA.LILRA4 expression was rapidly downregulated in PDCs by interleukin-3 (IL3).