The IPD-NHKIR database provides a centralised repository for non-human KIR (NHKIR) sequences. Killer-cell Immunoglobulin-like Receptors (KIR) have been shown to be highly polymorphic at the allelic and haplotypic level. KIRs are members of the immunoglobulin superfamily (IgSF) formerly called Killer-cell Inhibitory Receptors. They are composed of two or three Ig-domains, a transmembrane region and cytoplasmic tail which can in turn be short (activatory) or long (inhibitory). The Leukocyte Receptor Complex (LRC) which encodes KIR genes has been shown to be polymorphic, polygenic and complex like the MHC.
dna gene polymorphism immune system killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors multiple sequence alignment nucleic acid sequence alignment sequence alignment polypeptide region