BTN3A3

BTN3A3 shares the domain layout of BTN3A1 and BTN3A2 but, like BTN3A2, carries B30.2 substitutions that preclude high-affinity phosphoantigen binding. The protein is broadly expressed on immune cells and epithelia, with particularly notable detection in airway tissues. Beyond its cooperative role in γδ T cell responses, BTN3A3 has been identified as a ligand for the NK cell receptor NKp44, giving this paralog a role in innate cytotoxicity against tumor cells and virus-infected cells. Ongoing comparisons of the three BTN3 genes continue to clarify how their subtle differences shape phosphoantigen-driven and NK-mediated immunity.