PHENOTYPIC AND FUNCTIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF MICROVESICLES PRODUCED BY NATURAL KILLER CELLS

Natural killer (NK) cells are of special interest among a multitude of microvesicle (MV) source cells. NK cells are a lymphocyte subpopulation performing contact cytolysis of virus-infected cells and tumor cells. Each of the NK cell populations has a unique receptor repertoire on its surface and, thus, unique functions. During their contact with a target cell, the most common mechanism of cytolysis is an exocytosis of lytic granules. However, some indirect evidence suggests that MV with CD56 phenotype and leukocyte-derived MV with various phenotypes are present in the peripheral blood plasma.This research is aimed to study the phenotype, composition and cytotoxic activity of microvesicles produced by NK cells. The analysis of receptor expression showed that MV, as well as source cells of the NK-92 cell line, had a similar CD56 molecule expression profile. The expression profile in MV differs from the same in source cells by higher CD119 and CD11b expression and by lower CD18 expression. Culturing of NK-92 cells in the presence of PMA, IL-1β, TNFα, IFNγ resulted in alterations of cell phenotypes and MV. Immunoblots revealed a change of perforin and granzyme B (GrB) in MV. The analysis of the cytotoxic activity of NK-92 cells in a natural killer in vitro assay employing K562 target cells demonstrated that MV obtained from TNFα-activated cells of the NK-92 cell line increased the cytotoxicity of the same TNFα-activated NK-92 cells regarding cytotoxicity levels. This coincides with the previously revealed increased content of GrB in MV obtained from TNFα-activated cells of the NK-92 cell line. To sum up depending on the cytokine NK-92 cells produce MV that differ in their phenotype, composition and activity. Any changes in MV composition can result in changes in their functional activity: in particular, changes can increase the cytotoxic activity of NK cells of the NK-92 cell line. Thus, besides a well-known and proved way for GrB delivery to a target cell, we can suggest an additional way – the transportation of GrB within MV