Mechanisms of Granule-Dependent Killing
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Cell Death and Differentiation (2008) 15, 251–262 & 2008 Nature Publishing Group All rights reserved 1350-9047/08 $30.00 www.nature.com/cdd Review Mechanisms of granule-dependent killing SP Cullen1 and SJ Martin*,1 Cytotoxic T lymphocyte and natural killer cell-initiated cell death is one of the primary mechanisms used by higher organisms to eliminate viruses and transformed cells. In this context, target cell death is rapid and efficient and initiated via two main pathways, involving either the ligation of death receptors or through the granule-exocytosis pathway. The granule-exocytosis pathway has attracted much attention over the past 10 years and consequently, a mechanism for granule-dependent killing has become reasonably well established. In the granule-dependent pathway, several proteolytic enzymes called granzymes are delivered to the target cell, promoting the activation of a family of death-inducing proteases called caspases. If caspases are inhibited by viral proteins or are inactivated through mutation, granzyme-mediated proteolysis of other cellular substrates ensures the timely death of infected or transformed cells. Here, we examine the findings that have shaped our current understanding of the mechanics of granule-dependent killing and discuss recent insights that have clarified some long-standing discrepancies in the granzyme literature. Cell Death and Differentiation (2008) 15, 251–262; doi:10.1038/sj.cdd.4402244; published online 2 November 2007 Apoptosis is an innate mechanism of programmed cell death the antigen-presenting cell, of class I major histocompatibility that enables multicellular organisms to eliminate unwanted complex (MHC) proteins, which bind intracellular antigenic cells and constitutes the most common form of cell death in peptides and carry them to the cell surface where they are the body that occurs during development, tissue remodelling, presented along with a co-stimulatory signal, to the CTL. Once cell homeostasis and during the response of the immune activated, CTLs can recognize the same class I MHC-peptide system to viral infection and cellular transformation.1 Internal complex on the surface of a virus-infected cell. Upon surveillance systems constantly monitor the intracellular encounter of specific antigen for the first time, T cells are environment, determining when a cell has reached the end induced to clonally expand in order to combat the infection and of its useful life or has become defective in some way. In this can take several days. The ‘memory’ of this first antigen response to a variety of cues, a conserved program of cell encounter is facilitated by the production of memory T cells, death is initiated, culminating in the orderly dismantling of the which ensures a much faster and more aggressive response cell.2,3 Proximal in this process and key players in the when the antigen is encountered for the second time. Natural molecular control of apoptosis are proteins of the BCL-2 killer (NK) cells play a pivotal role in the innate immune family, which orchestrate the downstream activation of system.8 Unlike T cells, they do not require pre-activation by caspases.4,5 Activated caspases then cleave a diverse cohort dendritic cells and are thus important in the early stages of of protein substrates resulting in the rapid and efficient death infection, before the T-cell response is fully underway. of the cell.3 However, this surveillance mechanism can be Although this is the case in humans, a recent study has corrupted by mutation, in some cases leading to cellular highlighted differences in perforin and granzyme expression transformation. In addition, many viruses employ strategies to between human and murine NK cells.9 Human NK cells sabotage the cell death programme of infected cells,6,7 as this constitutively express perforin and granzymes A and B.9 appears to be the main defensive strategy utilized by the host However, whereas resting murine NK cells contain plentiful to destroy the invader. In such situations, the cell-mediated granzyme A but little perforin or granzyme B, upon activation, immune response is necessary for the removal of tumorigenic the levels of perforin and granzyme B within murine NK cells and virus infected cells. substantially increase with a commensurate increase in Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) are initially activated in the cytotoxicity.9 The differences in the regulation of perforin peripheral lymphoid organs by recognizing foreign antigen and granzyme expression between mouse and man suggests presented on the surface of an antigen-presenting cell, usually that there may be substantial differences between the a dendritic cell. This recognition depends on the presence, in immune systems of different species and that care must be 1Molecular Cell Biology Laboratory, Department of Genetics, The Smurfit Institute, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland *Corresponding author: SJ Martin, Molecular Cell Biology Laboratory, Department of Genetics, The Smurfit Institute, Trinity College, Dublin, D2, Ireland. Tel: þ 353 1 896 1289; Fax: þ 353 1 679 8558; E-mail: [email protected] Keywords: apoptosis; CTL; NK cell; granzyme; perforin Abbreviations: CAD, caspase-activated DNase; cSMAC, central supramolecular activation complex; CTL, cytotoxic T lymphocyte; DNA-PK, DNA-dependent protein kinase; FHL, familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis; ICAD, inhibitor of caspase-activated DNase; MCMV, murine cytomegalovirus; MHC, major histocompatibility complex; MTOC, microtubule organizing centre; NK, natural killer; NUMA, nuclear mitotic apparatus protein; PI-9, protease inhibitor-9; ROS, reactive oxygen species; Treg, T regulatory Received 03.5.07; revised 07.9.07; accepted 11.9.07; Edited by G Melino; published online 02.11.07 Mechanisms of granule-dependent killing SP Cullen and SJ Martin 252 taken when extrapolating mouse data to humans, a point swiftly along microtubules in the direction of the plasma which will be returned to later in the review. NK cells can membrane.19 recognize and kill virally infected or tumor cells and can rapidly Both albinism and immune deficiencies are symptomatic of produce cytokines and chemokines, which have immune a number of genetic disorders associated with the dysfunction stimulatory and antimicrobial effects.10 NK cell activation has of CTLs and melanocytes, both of which contain secretory been studied extensively in recent years and is discussed lysosomes. Secretory lysosome function is impaired in these elsewhere in this issue.11 individuals and the study of such disorders has greatly CTLs can kill their targets through one of two main advanced our understanding of the mechanisms of cytotoxic pathways. CTLs expressing ligands of the tumor necrosis granule secretion. Individuals with Hermansky–Pudlak syn- factor superfamily on their cell surface can kill target cells drome type 2 lack the cytosolic adapter protein 3 (AP-3), expressing the corresponding receptors, whereas NK cells which has been shown to be important for granule movement appear to rely predominantly on the granule-dependent along microtubules and because of this, CTLs from these pathway. The second cell death pathway involving the individuals show a substantial loss of cytotoxic activity.20 perforin-mediated trafficking of a family of proteases, called When the granules move toward the interface between granzymes, from CTL/NK cells to the target cell cytosol effector and target, Rab27a, missing in Griscelli syndrome, (Figure 1), is the focus of this review. is thought to be required for movement of the granules from the MTOC to the plasma membrane.21–23 The 400 kDa protein, Lyst, lacking in Chediak–Higashi syndrome, has Granule-Dependent Killing been implicated in the fusion of granules with the plasma A major mechanism of CTL/NK cell-mediated killing involves membrane.24,25 A more recent study has highlighted the the delivery of secretary lysosomes, or granules, into the importance of Munc13-4, mutated in familial hemophagocytic immunological synapse between the effector and its tar- lymphohistiocytosis subtype 3 (FHL3), in the priming of get.12,13 In CTLs, the granules are synthesized only after the granules, which precedes membrane fusion.26,27 cell has encountered specific antigen and has become After the cytotoxic granules have been polarized at the activated,12 whereas in NK cells, cytotoxic granules cell membrane, they are secreted into the immunological are formed during development. Therefore, NK cells are synapse in an ordered sequence of events. Target-effector equipped to respond rapidly to the threat of tumorigenicity cell contact triggers the accumulation of talin and adhesion or infection.14 The major granule components are perforin molecules at the contact site, which combine to form a and granzymes, which, upon delivery to the target, combine circular structure that binds and stabilizes the polarized to engineer rapid cell death with killing time as short as MTOC.28,29 This structure surrounds a central supra- 20 min.15 Recognition of a target by a CTL cell triggers rapid molecular activation complex (cSMAC) through which the polarization of the microtubule organizing center (MTOC) polarized granules pass before secretion.28 The final step i toward the immunological synapse,16–18 with granules moving n the process of granule delivery is accomplished when the Figure 1 Time course of NK-mediated killing. The NK cell line, YT, was used to kill HeLa cell targets and images were recorded at 1-min intervals. The frames shown represent 20-min intervals between