IMMUNOBIOLOGY LFA-1 signaling through p44/42 is coupled to perforin degranulation in CD56 CD8 natural killer cells

Leukocyte function antigen 1 (LFA-1) is essential for the formation of immune cell synapses and plays a role in the pathophysiology of various autoimmune diseases. We investigated the molecular details of LFA-1 activation during adhesion between cytotoxic cells and a target model leukemia cell. The cytolytic activity of a CD3 CD8 CD56 natural killer (NK) subset was enhanced when LFA-1 was activated. In a comparison of LFA-1 ligands, intercellular adhesion molecule 2 (ICAM-2) and ICAM-3 promoted LFA-1–directed perforin release, whereas ICAM-1 had little effect. Ligand-induced LFA-1 clustering facilitated perforin release, demonstrating LFA-1 could regulate degranulation mechanisms. LFA-1 induced the activation of src family kinases, Vav1 and p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), in human CD56 NK cells as evidenced by intracellular phospho-epitope measurements that correlated with effectortarget cell binding and perforin-granzyme A–mediated cytolytic activity. These results identify novel, specific functional consequence of LFA-1–mediated cytolytic activity in perforin-containing human NK subsets. (Blood. 2004;104: 1083-1093)