Activation of lymph node derived bovine NK cells by CD244 and CD16

Abstract

Natural Killer cells (NK) are important in both antiviral, bacterial and tumor defense and constitute a major effector population of the innate immune defense. Activation of NK cells by specific cell surface expressed proteins in infected or tumor cells can induce the production of IFN‐gamma and cytotoxicity through release of cytotoxic granules such as perforin and granulysin. Bovine NK cells were recently phenotypically characterized but selective activation via cell surface receptors is not fully understood. Treatments using either inhibitory or stimulatory receptors that activate NKs can be used as a target for vaccine formulation against important bovine and human pathogens. In the present study we used lymph node‐derived bovine NK cells that were activated with different conditions including activation via CD244 AND CD16 resulting in increasing IFN‐gamma and Perforin. Our studies demonstrate that specific in vitro activation conditions of purified bovine NK cells results in a rapid response via secretion of IFN‐gamma and cytotoxic granules. Insight into selective NK functional activities can be used in the development of better vaccines against rapidly replicating pathogens such as foot and mouth disease virus.