Emmanuel HermannAurélie BertheCarine TruyensCristina Alonso‐VegaRudy ParradoFaustino TorricoYves CarlierVéronique M. Braud2026-03-222026-03-22200910.1111/j.1365-2567.2009.03194.xhttps://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2567.2009.03194.xhttps://andeanlibrary.org/handle/123456789/45571Citaciones: 19Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I-specific inhibitory natural killer receptors (iNKRs) are expressed by subsets of T cells but the mechanisms inducing their expression are poorly understood, particularly for killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs). The iNKRs are virtually absent from the surface of cord blood T cells but we found that KIR expression could be induced upon interleukin-2 stimulation in vitro. In addition, KIR expression was enhanced after treatment with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine, suggesting a role for DNA methylation. In vivo induction of KIR expression on cord blood T cells was also observed during a human congenital infection with Trypanosoma cruzi which triggers activation of fetal CD8(+) T cells. These KIR(+) T cells had an effector and effector/memory phenotype suggesting that KIR expression was consecutive to the antigenic stimulation; however, KIR was not preferentially found on parasite-specific CD8(+) T cells secreting interferon-gamma upon in vitro restimulation with live T. cruzi. These findings show that KIR expression is likely regulated by epigenetic mechanisms that occur during the maturation process of cord blood T cells. Our data provide a molecular basis for the appearance of KIRs on T cells with age and they have implications for T-cell homeostasis and the regulation of T-cell-mediated immune responses.enBiologyCytotoxic T cellCD8Cord bloodMemory T cellT cellNatural killer T cellInterleukin 21ImmunologyCell biologyarticle