A method for detecting intracellular perforin in mouse lymphocytes

Abstract

Cytotoxic lymphocytes destroy pathogen-infected and transformed cells through the cytotoxic granule exocytosis death pathway, which is dependent on the delivery of proapoptotic granzymes into the target cell cytosol by the pore-forming protein, perforin. Despite the importance of mouse models in understanding the role of cytotoxic lymphocytes in immune-mediated disease and their role in cancer immune surveillance, no reliable intracellular detection method exists for mouse perforin. Consequently, rapid, flowbased assessment of cytotoxic potential has been problematic, and complex assays of function are generally required. In this study, we have developed a novel method for detecting perforin..