Killer lymphocytes release perforin and granzymes from cytotoxic granules into the immunological synapse to destroy target cells as a critical mechanism in the defense against viruses and cancer. Perforin, a Ca(2+)-dependent pore-forming protein that multimerizes in membranes, delivers granzymes into the target cell cytosol. The original model for perforin (acting by forming a cell membrane cha...

The cytotoxic properties of granzymes are well established, though recent publications suggest additional roles for granzymes in immunity. We demonstrated that granzymes can act as regulators of cross-presentation by dendritic cells by inducing critical "eat-me" signals on the dying tumor cell, resulting in efficient phagocytosis of cell-associated tumor antigen.

To investigate the question of whether lytic granules share a common biogenesis with lysosomes, cloned cytolytic T cell lines were derived from a patient with I-cell disease. The targeting of two soluble lytic granule components, granzymes A and B, was studied in these cells which lack a functional mannose-6-phosphate (Man-6-P) receptor-mediated pathway to lysosomes. Using antibodies and enzyma...

Granzymes are key components of the immune response that play important roles in eliminating host cells infected by intracellular pathogens. Several granzymes are potent inducers of cell death. However, whether granzymes use additional mechanisms to exert their antipathogen activity remains elusive. Here, we show that in adenovirus-infected cells in which granzyme B (gzmB) and downstream apopto...

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes and natural killer cells destroy target cells via the polarized exocytosis of lytic effector proteins, perforin and granzymes, into the immunologic synapse. How these molecules enter target cells is not fully understood. It is debated whether granzymes enter via perforin pores formed at the plasma membrane or whether perforin and granzymes are first endocytosed and granz...

The granules of effector cytotoxic CD8 cells and natural killer (NK) cells contain a family of serine proteases called granzymes (granule-secreted enzymes) [5]. Granzymes are stored in the cytotoxic granules and require perforin to be delivered into the target cells to exert their cytotoxic function [5, 6]. Granzymes can also be released to the extracellular space and cleave extracellular matri...

Granule-mediated cytotoxicity is the major mechanism for lymphocytes to kill viruses, intracellular bacteria and tumors. The cytotoxic granules move to the immunological synapse by exocytosis after recognition of a killer cell. The contents of the granules are delivered into target cells with the help of perforin by endocytosis. A group of serine protease granzymes cleave their critical substra...

When killer lymphocytes recognize infected cells, perforin delivers cytotoxic proteases (granzymes) into the target cell to trigger apoptosis. What happens to intracellular bacteria during this process is unclear. Human, but not rodent, cytotoxic granules also contain granulysin, an antimicrobial peptide. Here, we show that granulysin delivers granzymes into bacteria to kill diverse bacterial s...

The granules of effector cytotoxic CD8 cells and natural killer (NK) cells contain a family of serine proteases called granzymes (granule-secreted enzymes) [5]. Granzymes are stored in the cytotoxic granules and require perforin to be delivered into the target cells to exert their cytotoxic function [5, 6]. Granzymes can also be released to the extracellular space and cleave extracellular matri...

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and natural killer (NK) cells use the perforin/granzyme pathway as a major mechanism to kill pathogen-containing cells and tumor cells.(1,2) Dysregulation of this pathway results in several human diseases, such as hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. Here we characterize the single-cell expression pattern of granzymes A and B in human lymphocytes using a flow cytom...