title: Granulysin induces cell death with nuclear accumulation.
abstract: Exogenously added granulysin was reported to kill mammalian target cells. The sites of actions and molecular mechanisms of granulysin in target cell killing, however, are presently unclear. We here examine the effects of granulysin with the target HeLa cells transiently expressed with GFP-fused 9 kDa granulysin. Endogenously expressed GFP-fused granulysin was preferentially localized in the nucleus and induced apoptotic cell death accompanying with phosphatidylserine translocation and nuclear condensation in a caspase-independent manner. These results suggest that granulysin enters the nucleus of target cells and induces apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Research and Development Center, BioMedical Laboratories, Inc., Kawagoe, Saitama, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takamori
authors.forename: Kazuyuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: Kinya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nagata
authors.forename: Shoichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takano
authors.forename: Masataka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakamura
mesh_terms: D021581:Active Transport, Cell Nucleus; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D010718:Phosphatidylserines / Q000378:metabolism; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; C075005:GNLY protein, human; D010718:Phosphatidylserines; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins