|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Journal of Experimental Medicine, Vol 173, 499-502, Copyright © 1991 by Rockefeller University Press
ARTICLES |
H Koizumi, CC Liu, LM Zheng, SV Joag, NK Bayne, J Holoshitz and JD Young
Laboratory of Cellular Physiology and Immunology, Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10021.
gamma/delta T cells have recently been described in association with a number of disorders, including autoimmune diseases. gamma/delta T cells are thought to play a cytotoxic role, but their mechanism of action is not known. Several granule mediators of cytotoxicity, including a pore- forming protein (perforin), and a family of serine esterases, have been isolated from cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL), lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells, and natural killer (NK) cells. We demonstrate here that gamma/delta T cells also express these mediators. Northern blots show that gamma/delta T cells express perforin, serine esterase 1 (SE 1), and SE 2. Three polyclonal antisera - raised against murine perforin, a peptide composed of amino acids 1-34 of human perforin, and human peforin expressed in bacteria - all reacted with a 70-kD protein in gamma/delta T cells on Western blots. Immunostaining with antiperforin antisera shows that primary gamma/delta T cells also contain perforin. Electron microscopy reveals that the granules of gamma/delta T cells resemble those of CTL, LAK, and NK cells. Gamma/delta T cells also resemble LAK cells in possessing inclusion bodies in their nuclei. These results imply that gamma/delta T cells resemble other cytolytic lymphocytes in their mechanism of action.
CiteULike 
Complore 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us 
Digg 
Reddit 
Technorati What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
| TABLE OF CONTENTS |
|
