Thy-1-positive dendritic epidermal cells contain a killer protein perforin.
The killer cell characteristics of Thy-1-positive dendritic epidermal cells (Thy-1+ DEC) were examined. Four Thy-1+ DEC clones which were established from athymic nude mice exhibited spontaneous or lectin-redirectable cytotoxic activity against some murine tumor cell lines in a 4 h 51Cr-release assay. A colorimetric assay for benzyloxycarbonyl-L-lysine-thiobenzyl ester esterase revealed a strong serine esterase activity expressed in all cell clones. In addition, Northern blot analysis using a murine perforin cDNA probe revealed that all four Thy-1+ DEC clones expressed abundant mRNA for perforin, as do most killer T cells. More importantly, immunocytochemical staining with an anti-perforin monoclonal antibody revealed that not only all four Thy-1+ DEC clones but also a part of freshly isolated Thy-1+ DEC from normal and nude mice contained perforin. These results demonstrate that Thy-1+ DEC exhibit typical killer cell characteristics in vitro and in vivo. These data also suggest that Thy-1+ DEC may play a cytotoxic role in protecting the integrity of skin from infection or neoplastic transformation.
Kobata
T
T
Department of Immunology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Shinkai
Y
Y
Iigo
Y
Y
Kawasaki
A
A
Yagita
H
H
Ito
S
S
Shimada
S
S
Katz
S I
SI
Okumura
K
K
D000818:Animals; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D002999:Clone Cells / Q000276:immunology; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D054353:Perforin; D052899:Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018800:Thy-1 Antigens; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000276:immunology
D000954:Antigens, Surface; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D052899:Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018800:Thy-1 Antigens; D054353:Perforin; D004247:DNA