title: Granulysin.
abstract: Granulysin, a molecule expressed by human natural killer cells and activated T lymphocytes, exhibits cytolytic activity against a variety of microbes and tumors. Progress in understanding the structure, function and clinical relevance of granulysin over the past year encompasses three main areas: first, the solution of its crystal structure, providing new insights into its potential mechanism of target cell damage; second, inhibition of its function with small interfering RNA, indicating its relevance in microbial immunity; and third, association of granulysin expression in natural killer cells with good outcomes in cancer, indicating its potential utility as a diagnostic and suggesting its relevance to human disease.
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000276:immunology; D003594:Cytoplasmic Granules / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D019169:Jurkat Cells; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000378:metabolism; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; C075005:GNLY protein, human; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic