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10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
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NKG7
natural killer cell granule protein 7
Chromosome 19 · 19q13.41
NCBI Gene: 4818Ensembl: ENSG00000105374.10HGNC: HGNC:7830UniProt: A0A0B4J2A6
16PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
defense response to protozoanplasma membranecytolytic granule membraneprotein bindingneoplasmBlackfan-Diamond anemiaautoimmune thrombocytopenic purpurahereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin-sickle cell disease syndrome
✦AI Summary

NKG7 (natural killer cell granule protein 7) is a type-I integral membrane protein 1 that serves as a critical regulator of cytotoxic lymphocyte function through two complementary mechanisms. Primarily, NKG7 mediates cytotoxic granule exocytosis in NK cells, CD8+ T cells, and activated CD4+ T cells by regulating translocation of CD107a to the cell surface and promoting release of perforin and granzymes 2. This function is essential for killing target cells during infection and cancer immunity. Recently, NKG7 was identified as a lysosomal protein that negatively regulates mTORC1 activity by inhibiting v-ATPase function, thereby promoting CD8+ T cell memory development and longevity 3. NKG7 expression marks activated, cytotoxic lymphocytes across diverse disease contexts, including parasitic infections, cancer, spinal cord injury, and inflammatory skin conditions 2456. Clinically, NKG7 expression on CD8+ T cells and MAIT cells correlates with responsiveness to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy in lung cancer 4, and NKG7 upregulation shows therapeutic potential in T cell-based cancer therapies 7. These findings establish NKG7 as both a functional mediator of immune responses and a promising biomarker for immunotherapy outcomes.

Sources cited
1
NKG7 is a type-I integral membrane protein encoded on chromosome 19, expressed in NK cells and T cells
PMID: 8458737
2
NKG7 regulates lymphocyte granule exocytosis and CD107a translocation, critical for cytotoxicity in NK and CD8+ T cells during parasitic disease and cancer
PMID: 32839608
3
NKG7 expression on CD8+MAIT cells correlates with response to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer
PMID: 38698468
4
NKG7+CD8+ T cells exacerbate tissue damage in aged spinal cord injury, and Nkg7 deletion promotes wound healing
PMID: 39809279
5
NKG7 negatively regulates mTORC1 by inhibiting v-ATPase, promoting CD8+ T cell memory development
PMID: 39952956
6
NKG7 has dual roles in T-cell cytotoxicity and longevity, serving as a biomarker and therapeutic target in T cell immunotherapy
PMID: 40824199
7
NKG7-expressing effector CD8+ T cells are dominant features of necrobiosis lesions, coexpressing cytotoxic molecules
PMID: 39989459
Disease Associationsⓘ20
neoplasmOpen Targets
0.11Weak
Blackfan-Diamond anemiaOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpuraOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin-sickle cell disease syndromeOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
Hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin - beta-thalassemiaOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
isolated agammaglobulinemiaOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
inosine triphosphatase deficiencyOpen Targets
0.06Suggestive
immunodeficiency 88Open Targets
0.06Suggestive
hemoglobin D diseaseOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
alpha thalassemia-intellectual disability syndrome type 1Open Targets
0.05Suggestive
Alpha-thalassemia - intellectual disability syndrome linked to chromosome 16Open Targets
0.05Suggestive
delta-beta-thalassemiaOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
eosinophil peroxidase deficiencyOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
Hemoglobin E - beta-thalassemiaOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
hemoglobin E-beta-thalassemia syndromeOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
Autosomal dominant methemoglobinemiaOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
linear and whorled nevoid hypermelanosisOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
Alpha-thalassemia - myelodysplastic syndromeOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
alpha-thalassemia-myelodysplastic syndromeOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
hemoglobin C-beta-thalassemia syndromeOpen Targets
0.05Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
CD2Protein interaction97%CTSWProtein interaction97%KLRB1Protein interaction97%CD8AProtein interaction95%CD247Protein interaction92%FGFBP2Protein interaction91%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Bone Marrow
100%
Lung
15%
Liver
5%
Heart
2%
Brain
1%
Ovary
0%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
NKG7CD2CTSWKLRB1CD8ACD247FGFBP2
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
AlphaFoldAI-predicted · UniProt Q16617
View on AlphaFold ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
0.92LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.06Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.51 [0.30–0.92]
RankingsWhere NKG7 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #15,322of 20,598
    Most Researched16
  • #8,467of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)0.92
Genes detectedNKG7
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
Identification of human exT
PMID: 37563308
Nat Immunol · 2023
1.00
2
The NK cell granule protein NKG7 regulates cytotoxic granule exocytosis and inflammation.
PMID: 32839608
Nat Immunol · 2020
0.90
3
CXCR6-positive circulating mucosal-associated invariant T cells can identify patients with non-small cell lung cancer responding to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy.
PMID: 38698468
J Exp Clin Cancer Res · 2024
0.80
4
Clonally expanded, targetable, natural killer-like NKG7 T cells seed the aged spinal cord to disrupt myeloid-dependent wound healing.
PMID: 39809279
Neuron · 2025
0.70
5
Lysosomal NKG7 restrains mTORC1 activity to promote CD8
PMID: 39952956
Nat Commun · 2025
0.60