Tumor necrosis serum induces a serologically distinct population of NK cells.
Murine spleen cells generate nonspecific cytotoxic cells, referred to as natural killer (NK) cells, within 4 d of incubation in Mishell-Dutton cultures. This NK cell type does not arise in cultures of BALB/c.nu spleen cells or in cultures of T-cell depleted C57BL/6 spleen cells, indicating that its activation depends on T cells. Another type of NK cells is induced by tumor necrosis serum in murine spleen-cell cultures. It arises within 24 h and its activation does not depend on T cells. This cell type (and its precursor) expresses the recently discovered cell-surface marker Qa5 (controlled by the Q region of chromosome 17) that distinguishes this NK cell from the NK cell that depends for its activation on thymic function. Qa5+ NK cells are also induced by interferon.
D000818:Animals; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum / Q000494:pharmacology; D001769:Blood; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007372:Interferons / Q000494:pharmacology; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000276:immunology; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology
D000954:Antigens, Surface; D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum; D007372:Interferons