Establishment and functional characterization of novel natural killer cell lines derived from a temperature-sensitive SV40 large T antigen transgenic mouse.
Natural killer (NK) cells belong to an important lymphocyte population that eliminates transformed cells and invading pathogens without any prior sensitization. NK cells possess not only natural killing activity against non-self and altered-self cells but also exhibit cytokine production and antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC). Despite their important roles in the innate immune system, little is known about the details of NK cell biology. In spite of that several murine NK cell clones have been established, studies have mainly focused on their natural killing activity but not their cytokine production or ADCC. In this study, we established and characterized eight novel, immortalized murine NK cell clones derived from a temperature-sensitive SV40 large-T antigen transgenic mouse. These NK cell lines continuously proliferated for more than 30 months in a culture medium supplemented with interleukin 2. All cell lines contained azurophilic granules in the cytoplasm, and a few clones retained the NK cell functions, such as natural killing activity, cytokine production, and ADCC. In addition, one clone could serve as a host for transient as well as stable gene transfection. Taken together, these findings indicate that the cell lines could constitute useful tools for detailed analysis of murine NK cell biology.
Iizuka
Satoru
S
Department of Experimental Immunology and the CREST Program of the Japan Science and Technology Corporation (JST) and Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8575.
Kaifu
Tomonori
T
Nakamura
Akira
A
Obinata
Masuo
M
Takai
Toshiyuki
T
D000818:Animals; D000920:Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity / Q000502:physiology; D000952:Antigens, Polyomavirus Transforming / Q000235:genetics*; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D013696:Temperature
D000952:Antigens, Polyomavirus Transforming; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D016207:Cytokines