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10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
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KLRG1
killer cell lectin like receptor G1
Chromosome 12 · 12p13.31
NCBI Gene: 10219Ensembl: ENSG00000139187.10HGNC: HGNC:6380UniProt: Q96E93
55PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
FUNCTIONAL ROLE
Receptor
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
protein bindingcarbohydrate bindingsignaling receptor activityinflammatory responseAbnormality of the skeletal systemchronic intestinal vascular insufficiencyvascular diseasetype 1 diabetes mellitus
✦AI Summary

KLRG1 is an inhibitory receptor expressed on natural killer cells, T cells, and innate lymphoid cells that functions as a checkpoint molecule regulating immune cell activation and exhaustion. Upon binding to cadherin ligands on target cells, KLRG1 delivers inhibitory signals that suppress effector functions 1. In chr12 viral infections like HIV, KLRG1 is a marker of exhausted CD8+ T cells, and blocking KLRG1 restores cytokine production and T cell function 2. KLRG1 expression also identifies tissue-resident memory T cells and correlates with reduced inflammatory capacity; notably, PD-1+KLRG1- circulating CD8+ T cells predict response to cancer immunotherapy 3. Loss of KLRG1 on innate lymphoid cells in hepatocellular carcinoma promotes tumor progression through increased chemokine production and neutrophil recruitment 1. In autoimmune contexts, increases in exhausted KLRG1+TIGIT+CD8+ T cells following anti-CD3 therapy correlate with delayed type 1 diabetes progression and improved beta cell function 45. KLRG1+TEMRA cells are enriched in chr12 obstructive pulmonary disease and may drive pathogenic inflammation 6. Memory-like KLRG1+ innate lymphoid cells promote asthma relapse through tissue residence and rapid recall responses 7. These findings establish KLRG1 as a critical regulator of immune exhaustion, memory formation, and disease progression across multiple conditions.

Sources cited
1
KLRG1 loss on ILC2s in HCC leads to increased proliferation, chemokine production (CXCL2/8), and tumor progression; restoring KLRG1 inhibits tumor development
PMID: 33829508
2
KLRG1 is expressed on exhausted CD8+ T cells in HIV infection; blocking KLRG1 restores function of HIV-specific exhausted CD8+ T cells
PMID: 32954948
3
Pre-treatment PD-1+KLRG1- CD8+ T cells in blood predict response to cancer immunotherapy
PMID: 35803260
4
KLRG1+TIGIT+CD8+ T cells are more common in type 1 diabetes high-risk patients treated with anti-CD3 therapy; treatment delayed diabetes progression
PMID: 31180194
5
Increases in KLRG1+TIGIT+CD8+ partially exhausted memory T cells correlate with improved beta cell function and delayed T1D diagnosis after teplizumab treatment
PMID: 33658358
6
KLRG1+TEMRA CD8+ T cells are increased in mild-moderate COPD lung tissue and may contribute to inflammation preceding severe disease
PMID: 37756440
7
KLRG1+ memory-like ILC2s in intestinal tissue promote asthma relapse through rapid recall responses and IL-13 production
PMID: 39245681
Disease Associationsⓘ20
Abnormality of the skeletal systemOpen Targets
0.31Weak
chronic intestinal vascular insufficiencyOpen Targets
0.26Weak
vascular diseaseOpen Targets
0.24Weak
type 1 diabetes mellitusOpen Targets
0.22Weak
neoplasmOpen Targets
0.12Weak
rheumatoid arthritisOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
lung adenocarcinomaOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
colorectal carcinomaOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
asthmaOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
non-small cell lung carcinomaOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
cancerOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
chronic hepatitis B virus infectionOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
HIV infectionOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
infectionOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
hepatocellular carcinomaOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
major depressive disorderOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
breast cancerOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
lymphomaOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
cervical squamous intraepithelial neoplasiaOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
T-cell large granular lymphocyte leukemiaOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
CDH1Protein interaction100%CDH2Protein interaction100%CD8AProtein interaction100%IFNGProtein interaction99%PTPRCProtein interaction98%FOXP3Protein interaction98%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Bone Marrow
100%
Heart
86%
Brain
66%
Lung
60%
Liver
58%
Ovary
16%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
KLRG1CDH1CDH2CD8AIFNGPTPRCFOXP3
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
PDB3FF7 · 1.80 Å · X-ray
View on RCSB ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
1.25LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.00Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.76 [0.48–1.25]
RankingsWhere KLRG1 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #8,210of 20,598
    Most Researched55
  • #13,213of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)1.25
Genes detectedKLRG1
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
An Anti-CD3 Antibody, Teplizumab, in Relatives at Risk for Type 1 Diabetes.
PMID: 31180194
N Engl J Med · 2019
1.00
2
Teplizumab improves and stabilizes beta cell function in antibody-positive high-risk individuals.
PMID: 33658358
Sci Transl Med · 2021
0.90
3
Tissue-resident memory and circulating T cells are early responders to pre-surgical cancer immunotherapy.
PMID: 35803260
Cell · 2022
0.80
4
CD57 in human natural killer cells and T-lymphocytes.
PMID: 26850637
Cancer Immunol Immunother · 2016
0.70
5
Group-2 Innate Lymphoid Cells Promote HCC Progression Through CXCL2-Neutrophil-Induced Immunosuppression.
PMID: 33829508
Hepatology · 2021
0.60