title: The c-kit ligand suppresses apoptosis of human natural killer cells through the upregulation of bcl-2.
abstract: The bcl-2 protein plays a central role in the regulation of programmed cell death in a variety of tissues and is pivotal to the survival of lymphocytes in vivo. The growth factors responsible for survival of normal lymphocytes are unknown but are likely to maintain viability in part through the regulation of bcl-2 expression. A subset of human natural killer (NK) cells (CD3-CD56bright) are unique among lymphocytes in their constitutive expression of c-kit, a tyrosine kinase cell surface receptor that binds c-kit ligand (KL). Alone, KL does not promote proliferation or further differentiation of CD56bright NK cells. We now report that, in the absence of serum or additional growth factors, KL prevents apoptosis of cultured CD56bright NK cells, as assessed by DNA fragmentation studies, and maintains viability, as measured by biologic responses (i.e., proliferation and cytotoxicity) to the subsequent addition of other cytokines. Furthermore, we demonstrate that KL induces CD56bright NK cells to express the bcl-2 protein. In the presence of anti-c-kit antibody, the tyrosine kinase inhibitor genistein, or bcl-2 antisense oligonucleotide, the protective effect of KL on the survival of CD56bright NK cells is dramatically reduced. These data demonstrate that the binding of KL to its tyrosine kinase receptor results in the upregulation of bcl-2, thereby preventing apoptosis in this subset of normal human lymphocytes. As soluble KL is plentiful in normal human serum, this survival mechanism may be operative for CD56bright NK cells in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY 14263.
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Carson
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Haldar
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Baiocchi
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Croce
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Caligiuri
mesh_terms: D015703:Antigens, CD; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D001483:Base Sequence; D019002:CD56 Antigen; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016298:Hematopoietic Cell Growth Factors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000187:drug effects*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D016184:Receptors, Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D019089:Stem Cell Factor; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D019002:CD56 Antigen; D016298:Hematopoietic Cell Growth Factors; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016184:Receptors, Colony-Stimulating Factor; D019089:Stem Cell Factor; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases