NLRC5 is a transcriptional regulator of MHC class I genes

NLRC5 is a member of the NLR family of proteins. The observation that NLRC5 is found in the nucleus prompted us to perform a gene array to identify putative target genes of NLRC5. We generated Jurkat T cell lines that stably express either the wild-type or mutant forms of NLRC5 harboring mutations in the nucleotide binding domain (NBD): Walker A (deficient in nucleotide binding), Walker B (deficient in nucleotide hydrolysis), and the combined Walker AB, carrying both mutations. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to create the NLRC5 NBD mutants: Walker A (K234A), Walker B (E311Q), and Walker AB (both mutations). We compared the expression profiles of Jurkat T cells expressing GFP, or the GFP-tagged wild-type, Walker A, Walker B, or Walker AB forms of NLRC5. GFP and the Walker A and Walker AB forms of NLRC5 were considered functionally inactive, while the wild-type and Walker B forms of NLRC5 were considered functionally active. These groups were used as biological replicates to assess the effect of NLRC5 activity on gene expression.