Rat spleen dendritic cells express natural killer cell receptor protein 1 (NKR-P1) and have cytotoxic activity to select targets via a Ca2+-dependent mechanism.
Dendritic cells (DC) are a subset of leukocytes whose major function is antigen presentation. We investigated the phenotype and function of enriched (95-98.5%) rat DC. We show that both spleen and thymus DC express the natural killer cell receptor protein 1 (NKR-P1) as a disulfide linked homodimer of 60 kD. Freshly isolated DC express a low level of NKR-P1, which is strongly upregulated after overnight culture. Spleen, but not thymus DC, were able to kill the NK-sensitive YAC-1 cell line in vitro, and since this killing was Ca2+ dependent, a Fas ligand-Fas interaction was probably not involved. Besides their potent antigen-presenting function, DC can thus be cytotoxic for some tumor targets.
Josien
R
R
Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale U437, Institut de Transplantation et de Recherche en Transplantation, Immeuble Jean Monnet, Nantes, France. josienr@rockvax.rockefeller.edu
Heslan
M
M
Soulillou
J P
JP
Cuturi
M C
MC
D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000737:chemistry; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002118:Calcium / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003601:Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D008297:Male; D055651:NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily B; D011233:Precipitin Tests; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017452:Receptors, IgG / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D013154:Spleen; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000276:immunology
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D055651:NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily B; D017452:Receptors, IgG; D002118:Calcium