Rj. Hogan et al., ANTIVIRAL CYTOTOXIC-CELLS IN THE CHANNEL CATFISH (ICTALURUS-PUNCTATUS), Developmental and comparative immunology, 20(2), 1996, pp. 115-127
Cytotoxic cells isolated from the head kidney and peripheral blood of
the channel catfish appear to represent distinct subpopulations of eff
ector cells, Previous studies showed that the former lyse xenogeneic n
atural killer (NK) cell targets, whereas the latter preferentially lys
e allogeneic cells. Here we extend these studies and present data sugg
esting a third class of cytotoxic effecters responsible for killing vi
rus-infected allogeneic and autologous cells, Peripheral blood leukocy
tes (PBLs) freshly isolated from unimmunized catfish lyse uninfected a
llogeneic target cells as well as virus-infected allogeneic and autolo
gous cells, Cell depletion and unlabeled (''cold'') target inhibition
studies discriminated between putative effector classes and supported
the view that at least two populations of cytotoxic cells are present
within peripheral blood leukocytes. One population lyses allogeneic ta
rgets, whereas a second population kills channel catfish virus (CCV)-i
nfected cells, In addition, inhibitor studies demonstrated that early
virus gene products are sufficient to render infected cells susceptibl
e to lysis, These results suggest that channel catfish possess distinc
t populations of NK-like, PBL-derived cytotoxic cells capable of lysin
g allogeneic and virus-infected target cells. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsev
ier Science Ltd.