Differential expression of granzyme A and granzyme B proteases and their secretion by fresh rat natural killer cells (NK) and lymphokine-activated killer cells with NK phenotype (LAK-NK). |
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| Authors: | F Velotti G Palmieri D D'Ambrosio M Piccoli L Frati A Santoni |
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| Affiliation: | Department of Experimental Medicine, University La Sapienza, Rome, Italy. |
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| Abstract: | Granzymes A-G are a family of serine proteases localized in the cytoplasmic granules of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (Masson, D. et al. Cell 1987. 49: 679) and granzyme A is secreted by T lymphocytes in response to antigenic stimulation. Granzyme A is also expressed by natural killer (NK) and lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells. Here we show that fresh rat NK cells constitutively express granzyme B and that granzyme A and granzyme B are differentially regulated in unstimulated NK cells vs. LAK cells with NK phenotype (LAK-NK cells). We also show that both granzymes A and B are secreted in a calcium-dependent manner, by NK and LAK-NK cells in response to stimuli which trigger NK cell functions. |
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