CD158a/KIR2DL1

CD158a (KIR2DL1) is an inhibitory killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptor characterized by two extracellular Ig-like domains and a cytoplasmic tail carrying two ITIM motifs. Its ligand specificity is the C2 epitope of HLA-C allotypes, defined by lysine at position 80, and binding is refined by the presented peptide, allowing discrimination between self and altered-self HLA class I. KIR2DL1 is expressed on overlapping subsets of natural killer cells and memory-like T cells as part of the clonally distributed KIR repertoire that shapes NK-cell education and licensing. The presence of KIR2DL1 together with its HLA-C2 ligands influences NK-cell alloreactivity in hematopoietic transplantation and has been linked to pregnancy complications such as pre-eclampsia.