Perforin boosts the ability of granulysin to kill Listeria in human dendritic cells
Author Information
Author(s): Walch Michael, Latinovic-Golic Sonja, Velic Ana, Sundstrom Hanna, Dumrese Claudia, Wagner Carsten A, Groscurth Peter, Ziegler Urs
Primary Institution: University of Zurich
Hypothesis
Does perforin enhance granulysin-induced bacteriolysis of Listeria in dendritic cells?
Conclusion
Perforin increases the effectiveness of granulysin in killing intracellular Listeria by promoting phagosome-endosome fusion through a transient calcium influx.
Supporting Evidence
- Granulysin alone killed about 40% of Listeria in dendritic cells.
- Perforin significantly enhanced bacteriolysis at granulysin concentrations of 1.25 μM and above.
- Perforin did not cause permanent membrane pores in Listeria-challenged dendritic cells.
- Enhanced colocalization of granulysin with listerial DNA was observed in the presence of perforin.
- Perforin treatment resulted in a transient Ca2+ influx in dendritic cells.
Takeaway
Perforin helps another protein, granulysin, to better kill a type of bacteria inside certain immune cells by making it easier for them to fuse together.
Methodology
The study used human dendritic cells to analyze the effects of granulysin and perforin on the lysis of Listeria innocua, employing various assays to measure bacterial viability and cellular responses.
Limitations
The study primarily focused on a non-pathogenic strain of Listeria, which may not fully represent interactions with pathogenic strains.
Participant Demographics
Human dendritic cells derived from peripheral monocytes of healthy donors.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.05
Statistical Significance
p<0.01
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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