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Mechanisms of Lymphocyte Activation and Immune Regulation pp 299–307Cite as

Molecular Mechanism of Natural Killer Cell-Mediated Cytotoxicity

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Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 213))

Abstract

Cytotoxic effector systems mediated by cells and humoral factors have been discovered and appear to play an important role in the host defense mechanism against infection and newly arising neoplasia. Several cytotoxic effector cells have been characterized, all of which have in common the ability to interact with and destroy unwanted target cells. However, the underlying molecular mechanism by which the cytotoxic cell destroys the target is not yet completely resolved. Several potential mechanisms have been proposed for cell mediated cytotoxicity (CMC), such as the necessity of cell to cell contact resulting in membrane perturbation, transfer of cytotoxic materials from the effector to the target, co-factors present on target cells that facilitate lysis, pore formation, etc. It is possible that all of these mechanisms may participate in a particular cytolytic reaction and different mechanisms may operate with different cytotoxic effector cells.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, UCLA School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90024, USA

    Benjamin Bonavida

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  1. Benjamin Bonavida
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of California, Irvine, California, USA

    Sudhir Gupta

  2. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA

    William E. Paul  & Anthony S. Fauci  & 

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© 1987 Plenum Press, New York

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Bonavida, B. (1987). Molecular Mechanism of Natural Killer Cell-Mediated Cytotoxicity. In: Gupta, S., Paul, W.E., Fauci, A.S. (eds) Mechanisms of Lymphocyte Activation and Immune Regulation. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 213. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-5323-2_29

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-5323-2_29

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4684-5325-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4684-5323-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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