This antibody recognizes CD161, a type II transmembrane C-type lectin receptor, expressed on the plasma membrane of NK cells, dendritic cells, activated monocytes and a subset of T cells as a disulphide-linked homodimer.
CD161, also known as Nkrp1 (natural killer receptor protein 1) or Klrb1 (killer cell lectin-like receptor subfamily b member 1), is a disulphide-linked homodimeric receptor, which is involved in regulation of NK cell and NKT cell function. It is expressed on a majority of NK cells, NKT cells, and e.g. Th17 cells and CD3+ thymocytes. Although rat CD161 has three isoforms (a, b, c), the human CD161 is expressed as one isoform.