title: Granzyme B: pro-apoptotic, antiviral and antitumor functions.
abstract: Granzyme B is a caspase-like serine protease that is released by cytotoxic lymphocytes to kill virus-infected and tumor cells. Major recent advances in our understanding of granzyme B biochemistry, biology and function include an appreciation of its uptake into and trafficking within target cells, a thorough dissection of how cell death is triggered, and the identification of the serpin protease inhibitor PI-9, which regulates its function in lymphocytes and in other cells. The roles that granzyme B plays in human pathologies, such as transplant rejection, viral immunity and particularly tumor immune surveillance, remain a topic for vigorous debate and conjecture. The recent discovery of a triply mutated human granzyme B allele, whose product is predicted to possess a reduced capacity to induce cell death, opens the way for major progress in these areas in coming years.
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology; D051023:BH3 Interacting Domain Death Agonist Protein; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000201:enzymology; D053804:Granzymes; D006801:Humans; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology*; D054353:Perforin; D052899:Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins; D017527:Receptor, IGF Type 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000502:physiology*; D015843:Serpins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000201:enzymology; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D051023:BH3 Interacting Domain Death Agonist Protein; C494814:BID protein, human; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D052899:Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins; D017527:Receptor, IGF Type 2; C102316:SERPINB9 protein, human; D015843:Serpins; D054353:Perforin; C509213:GZMB protein, human; D053804:Granzymes; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases