Disparate effect of beige mutation on cytotoxic function between natural killer and natural killer T cells

• Published in: Immunology 2000-06, Vol.100 (2), p.165-169
• Main Authors: Bannai, M., Oya, H., Kawamura, T., Naito, T., Shimizu, T., Kawamura, H., Miyaji, C., Watanabe, H., Hatakeyama, K., Abo, T.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; beige gene; Cell Culture Techniques; Cytoplasm - chemistry; Cytotoxicity, Immunologic - genetics; Cytotoxicity, Immunologic - immunology; Immunoenzyme Techniques; Killer Cells, Natural - chemistry; Killer Cells, Natural - immunology; Liver - immunology; Membrane Glycoproteins - analysis; Membrane Glycoproteins - immunology; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mutation; Original; Perforin; Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins; Spleen - immunology; T-Lymphocyte Subsets - chemistry; T-Lymphocyte Subsets - immunology
• ISSN: 0019-2805; 1365-2567
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2567.2000.00040.x

Beige mice lack natural killer (NK) cytotoxicity, although NK cells are normally present. In recent studies, NK T cells have been newly identified. We therefore examined the number and function of NK T cells in beige mice. The number of NK T cells was at a normal level in the liver of beige mice. NK cytotoxicity was decreased in the liver of these mice, whereas NK T cytotoxicity was intact. When immunochemical staining for perforin was conducted, the majority of NK cells and the minority of NK T cells in beige mice carried a giant granule, containing perforin, in the cytoplasm. In the case of control B6 mice, the majority of NK cells and the minority of NK T cells had multiple, dispersed granules containing perforin. These results suggest that NK T cytotoxicity is unaffected by the beige mutation, owing to their cytotoxicity being mediated without the secretion system of perforin.