title: Molecular and functional analysis of human natural killer cell-associated neural cell adhesion molecule (N-CAM/CD56).
abstract: The neural cell adhesion molecule (N-CAM/CD56) is a member of the Ig supergene family that has been shown to mediate homophilic binding. Several isoforms of N-CAM have been identified that are expressed preferentially in different tissues and stages of embryonic development. To examine the primary structure of N-CAM expressed in leukocytes, N-CAM cDNA were generated by polymerase chain reaction from RNA isolated from normal human NK cells and the KG1a hematopoietic leukemia cell line. The sequence of leukocyte-derived N-CAM cDNA was essentially identical with N-CAM cDNA from human neuroblastoma cells that encode the 140-kDa isoform of N-CAM. Inasmuch as N-CAM is preferentially expressed on human NK cells and a subset of T lymphocytes that mediate MHC-unrestricted cell-mediated cytotoxicity, we examined the potential role of N-CAM in cell-mediated cytotoxicity and heterotypic lymphocyte-tumor cell adhesion. N-CAM loss mutants were established from the human N-CAM+ KG1a leukemia cell line, and N-CAM cDNA was transfected into a human colon carcinoma cell line and murine L cells. Using this panel of mutants and transfectants, it was determined that expression of N-CAM on these target cells does not affect susceptibility to resting or IL-2-activated NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Moreover, expression of N-CAM in these transfectants failed to induce homotypic or heterotypic cellular adhesion. Collectively, these studies indicate that homophilic N-CAM interactions probably do not mediate a major role in the cytolytic interaction between NK cells and N-CAM+ tumor cell targets.
authors.affiliation: Becton Dickinson Immunocytometry Systems, San Jose, CA 95131.
authors.forename: L L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Lanier
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Azuma
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Ruitenberg
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Hemperly
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Phillips
mesh_terms: D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000502:physiology*; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D019002:CD56 Antigen; D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D019002:CD56 Antigen; D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal; D004247:DNA