Constitutive expression of pore-forming protein in peripheral blood gamma/delta T cells: implication for their cytotoxic role in vivo.
The cytotoxic activity and pore-forming protein (PFP) expression of human peripheral blood (PB) gamma/delta T cells were examined. Fresh gamma/delta T cells isolated from PB lymphocytes by fluorescence-activated cell sorting exhibited a substantial natural killer-like cytotoxic activity against K562 target cells and had a high cytotoxic potential triggered by anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody (mAb) against P815 target cells bearing Fc gamma R. Immunocytochemical staining with an anti-PFP mAb revealed that virtually all PB gamma/delta T cells are granular lymphocytes with abundant PFP in their cytoplasmic granules. Constitutive expression of PFP in PB gamma/delta T cells was also demonstrated by Northern blot analysis. These observations support the proposed role of gamma/delta T cells in cytolytic immune surveillance in vivo.
Nakata
M
M
Department of Immunology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Smyth
M J
MJ
Norihisa
Y
Y
Kawasaki
A
A
Shinkai
Y
Y
Okumura
K
K
Yagita
H
H
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000032:analysis; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology*; D054353:Perforin; D052899:Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015703:Antigens, CD; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D007376:Interleukin-2; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D052899:Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D054353:Perforin