The role of perforin in infections and tumour surveillance.
Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and natural killer (NK) cells are able to lyse suitable target cells. CTLs recognize a specific peptide epitope presented by major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules on the target cells, whereas NK cells lyse targets that express no or low MHC class I molecules. Using perforin-deficient mice, we provide evidence that both NK cells and CTLs exclusively use perforin-dependent cytolysis as an effector mechanism in vitro, as well as in vivo. This review summarizes the most important role of perforin-dependent cytolysis in a wide variety of bacterial and viral infections, in tumour surveillance, in immunopathology and in autoimmunity.
van den Broek
M F
MF
Institute of Experimental Immunology, Department of Pathology, University of Zürich, Switzerland. maries@pathol.unizh.ch
Hengartner
H
H
D000818:Animals; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000502:physiology; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000503:physiopathology; D007157:Immunologic Surveillance; D007239:Infections / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000502:physiology; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000502:physiology*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*; D054353:Perforin; D052899:Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000502:physiology; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology
D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D052899:Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins; D054353:Perforin