title: Cloning and chromosomal assignment of a human cDNA encoding a T cell- and natural killer cell-specific trypsin-like serine protease.
abstract: A cDNA clone encoding a human T cell- and natural killer cell-specific serine protease was obtained by screening a phage lambda gt10 cDNA library from phytohemagglutinin-stimulated human peripheral blood lymphocytes with the mouse Hanukah factor cDNA clone. In an RNA blot-hybridization analysis, this human Hanukah factor cDNA hybridized with a 1.3-kilobase band in allogeneic-stimulated cytotoxic T cells and the Jurkat cell line, but this transcript was not detectable in normal muscle, liver, tonsil, or thymus. By dot-blot hybridization, this cDNA hybridized with RNA from three cytolytic T-cell clones and three noncytolytic T-cell clones grown in vitro as well as with purified CD16+ natural killer cells and CD3+, CD16- T-cell large granular lymphocytes from peripheral blood lymphocytes (CD = cluster designation). The nucleotide sequence of this cDNA clone encodes a predicted serine protease of 262 amino acids. The predicted protein has a 22-amino acid presegment, a 6-amino acid prosegment, and an active enzyme of 234 amino acids with a calculated unglycosylated molecular weight of 25,820. The active enzyme is 71% and 77% similar to the mouse sequence at the amino acid and DNA level, respectively. The human and mouse sequences conserve the active site residues of serine proteases--the trypsin-specific Asp-189 and all 10 cysteine residues. The gene for the human Hanukah factor serine protease is located on human chromosome 5. We propose that this trypsin-like serine protease may function as a common component necessary for lysis of target cells by cytotoxic T lymphocytes and natural killer cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, CA 94305.
authors.forename: H K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Gershenfeld
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Hershberger
authors.forename: T B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Shows
authors.forename: I L
authors.initials: IL
authors.lastname: Weissman
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D002895:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 5; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D004274:DNA, Recombinant; D005796:Genes; D053804:Granzymes; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000201:enzymology*; D051379:Mice / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000235:genetics*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000201:enzymology*
chemical_list: D004274:DNA, Recombinant; D004247:DNA; D053804:Granzymes; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; C509212:GZMA protein, human