Multiple choice

Natural killer (NK) cells are effector cells of the innate immune system and are important in the control of viral infections in the body. Which of the following statements is true regarding the classical NK cells?

  1. NK cells have rearranged T-cell receptor genes.

  2. NK cells are unaffected by IFN alpha.

  3. NK cells are more active against targets with upregulated MHC class I.

  4. NK cells can kill certain virally-infected cells.

  5. NK cells can kill all virally-infected cells.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Like cytotoxic T-cells, NK cells can inhibit viral replication by killing the host cell. The difference is that cytotoxic T-cells have a receptor for a specific T-cell epitope whereas NK cells have a broader specificity.

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