DNA of human Raji target cells is damaged upon lymphocyte-mediated lysis

• Published in: The Journal of immunology (1950) Vol. 136; no. 3; pp. 752 - 756
• Main Authors: Gromkowski, SH, Brown, TC, Cerutti, PA, Cerottini, JC
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bethesda, MD Am Assoc Immnol 01-02-1986; American Association of Immunologists
• Subjects: Analysis of the immune response. Humoral and cellular immunity; Animals; Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity; B-Lymphocytes - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; Cell Line; Complement System Proteins; Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; DNA, Neoplasm - metabolism; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fundamental immunology; Humans; Immunobiology; Mast-Cell Sarcoma - immunology; Mice; Mice, Inbred DBA; Organs and cells involved in the immune response; Species Specificity; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic - immunology; Human; Effectory cell; Cytolysis; Immune response; Enzyme; Cell nucleus; Cytotoxicity; Activation; Cellular immunity; DNA; T-Lymphocyte; Target cell; Lesion; Endonuclease
• ISSN: 0022-1767; 1550-6606
• DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.136.3.752

Human Raji target cells DNA is degraded by the introduction of single-strand breaks (alkali-sensitive sites) upon lymphocyte-mediated lysis. This type of DNA degradation appears earlier and is more extensive in lymphocyte-than in antibody + complement-mediated lysis of Raji cells, regardless of the species of effector lymphocytes (human or mouse). Mouse P815 target cell DNA is extensively fragmented (yielding 200 base pair fragments) when human or mouse lymphocytes are used to lyse P815. Thus, these observations indicate that both human and mouse target cell DNA are affected during lymphocyte-mediated lysis. Moreover, the pattern of DNA degradation in target cells lysed by effector lymphocytes is characteristic of the target cell species, suggesting that DNA degradation proceeds through the activation of target cell endonuclease(s).