Perforin is essential for control of ectromelia virus but not related poxviruses in mice.

Lack of perforin renders the relatively resistant mouse strain C57BL/6 highly susceptible to the natural mouse pathogen ectromelia virus, a cytopathic orthopoxvirus. This is indicated by increased mortality, elevated virus titers and pathology in liver and spleen, and increased levels of liver enzymes in blood. Cowpox virus on the other hand is more virulent in the presence of perforin than in its absence. An additional lack of granzyme A which together with perforin is a constituent of cytoplasmic granules from cytotoxic T cells increases the virulence of cowpox virus.