NK cells use perforin rather than granulysin for anticryptococcal activity

Cytotoxic lymphocytes have the capacity to kill microbes directly; however, the mechanisms involved are poorly understood. Using Cryptococcus neoformans, which causes a potentially fatal fungal infection in HIV-infected patients, our previous studies showed that granulysin is necessary, while perforin is dispensable, for CD8 T lymphocyte fungal killing. By contrast, the mechanisms by which NK cells exert their antimicrobial activity are not clear, and in particular, the contribution of granulysin and perforin to NK-mediated antifungal activity is unknown. Primary human NK cells and a human NK cell line YT were found to constitutively express granulysin and perforin, and possessed anticryptococcal activity, in contrast to CD8 T lymphocytes, which required stimulation. When granulysin protein and mRNA were blocked by granulysin small interfering RNA, the NK cell-mediated antifungal effect was not affected in contrast to the abrogated activity observed in CD8 T lymphocytes. However, when perforin was inhibited by concanamycin A, and silenced using hairpin small interfering RNA, the anticryptococcal activities of NK cells were abrogated. Furthermore, when granulysin and perforin were both inhibited, the anticryptococcal activities of the NK cells were not reduced further than by silencing perforin alone. These results indicate that the antifungal activity is constitutively expressed in NK cells in contrast to CD8 T lymphocytes, in which it requires prior activation, and perforin, but not granulysin, plays the dominant role in NK cell anticryptococcal activity, in contrast to CD8 T lymphocytes, in which granulysin, but not perforin, plays the dominant role in anticryptococcal activity.

Medienart:

Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2004

Erschienen:

2004

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:173

Enthalten in:

Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950) - 173(2004), 5 vom: 01. Sept., Seite 3357-65

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Ma, Ling Ling [VerfasserIn]
Wang, Christopher L C [VerfasserIn]
Neely, Graham G [VerfasserIn]
Epelman, Slava [VerfasserIn]
Krensky, Alan M [VerfasserIn]
Mody, Christopher H [VerfasserIn]

Themen:

126465-35-8
526U7A2651
80890-47-7
Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte
Concanamycin A
Egtazic Acid
Enzyme Inhibitors
GNLY protein, human
Journal Article
Macrolides
Membrane Glycoproteins
Perforin
Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Anmerkungen:

Date Completed 21.09.2004

Date Revised 16.05.2019

published: Print

Citation Status MEDLINE

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM150013248