Definition of a secondary target cell trigger during natural killer cell cytotoxicity: possible role of phospholipase A2.

Phospholipase A2 (PA-2) is known to be involved in many calcium-dependent cellular processes and inhibitors of PA-2 have been shown to inhibit natural killer cell-mediated cytotoxicity (NK CMC). Since the trigger stage is calcium dependent, it was postulated that this effector cell-associated enzyme may play a role in early calcium-dependent processes. To define how PA-2 might be involved in NK lysis, the effect of both PA-2 inhibitors and exogenous PA-2 on the stages of NK lysis was examined. PA-2 inhibitors, quinacrine and p-bromophenacyl bromide, inhibited NK CMC at the effector cell level, but affected neither initial target-effector cell binding nor dissociated conjugates during the length of the NK assay, suggesting that they block post-binding lytic events. A calcium pulse assay showed that PA-2 inhibitors inhibit only moderately when added after calcium and only within the first 15 min, demonstrating that these inhibitors blocked very early post-binding lytic events. Because this very early post-binding inhibitory effect was consistent with effects upon the NK trigger mechanism, the effect of exogenous PA-2 on NK lysis was tested. Pretreatment of K562 target cells but not pretreatment of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) with 20 units/ml PA-2 enhanced lysis by two to eight-fold (based upon lytic units), showing its enhancing effect to be at the target cell level. Single cell assays using effector cells purified by indirect panning with monoclonal antibody NKH-1 showed that only the number of killer cells was increased. Calcium pulse assays showed that enhancement of lysis was maximum 15 min after addition of calcium and decreased rapidly thereafter, demonstrating its effect at an early post binding stage. Additionally, PA-2 was shown to overcome inhibition by the monoclonal antibody 13.3, which has been shown to affect the trigger stage of NK lysis (post-binding but prior to calcium dependent events). Thus, it appears that an NK cell-associated PA-2 could function by modulating the target cell surface, revealing a structure which acts as a "secondary" trigger, subsequent to the 13.3 "trigger", requisite for activation of the NK lytic process.

Studies on the mechanism of the human natural killer cell lethal hit: a new method for rapid physical isolation of lethally hit K562 targets and inhibition of cytolysis by reduced temperature or trypsin.

A new method was developed which allows for rapid (2 min) physical isolation of viable K562 target cells after being programmed to lyse (lethally hit) by purified human natural killer (NK) cells (LGL). To achieve this K562 cells which were obtained from the 34-36% interface of discontinuous Percoll gradients and purified human NK cells (LGL) which were obtained from the (43-45% Percoll) interface were employed. Using a Ca2+ pulse method and the separation of NK-K562 conjugates with EDTA and rapid centrifugation on Percoll gradients at 4 degrees C we could physically isolate the lethally hit K562 cells from the LGL allowing the study of the events leading to their subsequent lysis. Lysis of "purified" lethally hit K562 cells occurred in the absence of Ca2+ or Mg2+ and was blocked by reduced temperature (4 degrees C), or by the protease enzyme trypsin. When lethally hit targets were held at 4 degrees C (to block lysis) then rewarmed to 37 degrees C lysis ensued but with a rate slower than that of control cells not held at 4 degrees C. These data support the concept that transfer of protease-sensitive and possibly temperature-dependent structures from the NK cell to the target is a requisite step in NK cytolysis.

Studies on the mechanism of the human natural killer cell lethal hit: analysis of the mechanism of protease inhibition of the lethal hit.

The terminal killer cell-independent lysis (KCIL) stage of the human natural killer (NK) lethal hit is blocked by the protease enzymes trypsin (T), chymotrypsin (CT), and papain (P). The present studies analyze the mechanism of inhibition of KCIL by these enzymes. The pretreatment of effector PBL with T or CT but not P effectively reduced the ability of these cells to mediate NK lysis. This was due at least in part to a reduced ability of the treated NK cells to bind the NK target K562. Pretreatment of K562 cells with T, CT, or P also abolished their ability to serve as targets due to reduced binding ability. These same enzyme-pretreated target cells, however, were unaffected in their ability to bind a natural killer cell-derived cytolytic factor (NKCF) molecule(s), as determined by direct NKCF absorption studies or by their ability to cold target compete for the binding of NKCF to another NKCF-sensitive cell, the L929 fibroblast, thereby indicating that the K562 "target antigen" and the NKCF-receptor are independently expressed structures. Furthermore, NKCF activity, as measured by its ability to kill either K562 or L929 cells, was sensitive to T and CT but resistant to P. These studies indicate that various proteases inhibit NK-KCIL by different mechanisms and suggest that the lethal hit is a complex process. The ability of P to inhibit KCIL but not affect NKCF activity or the target cell NKCF receptor implies that additional NK cell-derived materials may be required in the lethal hit during direct NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity. A model depicting a hypothetical molecular mechanism for human NK cytolysis is presented and discussed.

Studies on the mechanism of the human natural killer cell lethal hit: evidence for transfer of protease-sensitive structures requisite for target cell lysis.

These studies analyze the effects of various enzymes on the terminal, killer cell-independent (KCIL) stages of the human natural killer (NK) cytolytic mechanism. The addition of trypsin (T), chymotrypsin (CT), or papain (P) to standard NK reaction mixtures (PBL or LGL and K562 cells) completely ablated cytolytic activity, whereas collagenase was ineffective. Inhibition by T was reversed by preincubation with soybean trypsin inhibitor (SBTI) or fetal calf serum, indicating that the inhibition was indeed due to T. Kinetic analysis with the Ca++ pulse experiment indicated that T, CT, and P inhibited lysis well beyond the Ca++-dependent (EDTA-sensitive) stages and essentially stopped further 51Cr release at the time of addition. This observation was confirmed by the ability of T, CT, and P to block lysis during KCIL of programmed K562 targets that were detached from NK cells by EDTA and were suspended in dextran-containing media. The lysis of K562 cells by natural killer cell-derived cytotoxic factors (NKCF) was also blocked by T and CT but not by P. Inhibition of NKCF activity by T could be reversed by SBTI or fetal calf serum. The ability of T, CT, or P to inhibit the lysis of "programmed" K562 targets during KCIL indicates that the NK lethal hit is an active process mediated by protease-sensitive structures, possibly NKCF, delivered to the target cell by the NK cell during the Ca++-dependent programming steps.

Isolation of spontaneous and interferon inducible natural killer like cells from human colonic mucosa: lysis of lymphoid and autologous epithelial target cells.

Viable mononuclear and epithelial cells were dispersed from human colonic tissue by treatment with collagenase and ethylene diamino-tetra acetate (EDTA) and separated by centrifugal elutriation. Using a single cell cytotoxic assay, functional endogenous and interferon responsive mononuclear cytotoxic cells were detected. Compared to peripheral blood lymphocyte associated killer cells that had been exposed to similar treatment, these colonic killer cells demonstrated lower efficiency cytotoxicity of Molt-4 target cells. Furthermore, inefficient, but interferon responsive cytotoxic cells were present which bound and lysed freshly isolated autologous epithelial cells. The cytotoxicity of these colonic mononuclear natural killer (NK) like cells appeared specific in that cells bound but did not lyse NK resistant Raji cells, even after interferon activation.

Characterization of the cytolytic reaction mechanism of the human natural killer (NK) lymphocyte: resolution into binding, programming, and killer cell-independent steps.

Various parameters of the cytolytic reaction mechanisms of the human natural killer (NK) lymphocyte were studied to characterize the lytic cycle. NK cytolysis was determined to occur in three definable steps. 1) Binding of PBL to the NK-sensitive targets Molt-4 or K562 was rapid (less than 1 min), occurred at temperatures below 37 degrees C, was Mg++3-dependent, Ca++3-independent, and was prevented by dispersion of the cells into 10% dextran. 2) Subsequent to binding, programming for lysis as determined by a Ca++ pulse method was more protracted, requiring up to 2 hr to occur and was strictly dependent on Ca++ for cytolysis to proceed. In standard cytotoxicity assays, however, programming for lysis was more rapid occurring in 10 to 30 min. Programming was inhibited by EDTA, EGTA/Mg++ and by temperatures below 37 degrees C. Furthermore, after binding but in the absence of initiation of programming for lysis, the frequency of target binding cells did not change and the NK cell did not lose its lytic potential. 3) Killer cell-independent cytolysis (KCIL) was determined by the addition of EDTA to "programmed" targets and dispersion of these cells into dextran-containing medium, which resulted in virtually 100% dissociation of conjugated cells. KCIL was Ca++ and Mg++-independent and was blocked at reduced temperatures only if the dextran was prechilled to 4 degrees C before addition. The kinetics of 51Cr release during KCIL was rapid and complete 30 min after dispersion. Interferon-activated NK cells expressed an increased rate of cytolysis in Ca++ pulse experiments. This was due to an increased rate of the Ca++-dependent step(s) during the programming events. The rate of the Ca++-independent steps, however, were similar with control and IFN-activated cells.

Activation of human NKCC by moderate exercise: increased frequency of NK cells with enhanced capability of effector--target lytic interactions.

In the present study we examined the mechanism of human natural killer cellular cytotoxicity (NKCC) augmentation by 5 min of moderate exercise and its interrelationship to in vitro interferon (IFN) activation. Cytotoxicity was measured by employing both a single-cell cytotoxic assay and a standard 3-hr chromium-51 (51Cr) release assay. The former was used to assess changes at the single NK cell--target cell level and the latter to assess changes in overall lytic capacity of a given population of NK cells. Several findings were obtained: (1) moderate exercise augmented NKCC in vivo by recruiting a 'new' population of active cytotoxic NK cells. (2) This 'new' population of active cells probably was derived from cells which can bind targets but are non-cytotoxic. (3) In a standard 51Cr-release assay, additional augmentation of these exercise-activated cells occurred in vitro following exposure to interferon. (4) This additional increase in cytotoxicity produced no alteration in the frequency of killer cells as viewed at the single cell level. (5) Thus interferon's capacity to increase further the overall lytic ability of exercise-activated NK cells was not due to its activation of an additional subset of pre-NK cells, but due to its increasing the capacity of effector--target lytic interactions (recycling) of the same set of NK and pre-NK cells.