Haha I should have guessed you wouldn't have forgotten that one!

Thanks to @wellcometrust.bsky.social for the funding and @ox.ac.uk @kavlioxford.bsky.social @ndorms.bsky.social for supporting the research! Always important to remember the funders/supporters of science. Especially in times like these!

6/6 This study goes some of the way to explain the link that has been noticed over many years between the KIR genotype and the variation in NK cell response to malaria infected RBCs. Further work exploring the link between the KIR and RIFIN family of proteins is needed! I better get back to the lab…

5/6 KIR2DS1 is an activating immune receptor. We show that the same RIFIN that suppresses NK cells through KIR2DL1, causes activation of NK cells when binding to KIR2DS1. This is the first time KIR2DS1 has been shown to directly interact with a pathogen protein.

4/6 Here's where the script is flipped… After solving the structure of these RIFINs we show that the binding site that the RIFIN target is almost entirely preserved in KIR2DS1, which is the paired activator receptor of KIR2DL1. We show that all KIR2DL1 binding RIFINs can also bind KIR2DS1.

3/6 KIR2DL1 is an inhibitory receptor found on Natural Killer cells. RIFINs binding to this receptor dampens the immune response of NK cells when confronting cells decorated with the RIFIN. This could protect parasites hiding in blood cells from NK-mediated killing.

2/6 The malaria parasite decorates the surface of the red blood cells it hides within with proteins called RIFINs that facilitate evasion of host immunity. We show that a specific subset of RIFINs can target KIR2DL1. These KIR2DL1-targetting RIFINs are found in malaria-endemic regions worldwide.