NK cell-induced cytotoxicity is dependent on a Ca2+ increase in the target

In previous work we showed that programmed cell death (PCD) in thymocytes is mediated by a sustained increase in cytosolic Ca2+ concentration, resulting in the activation of an endogenous endonuclease, DNA fragmentation, and cell death. In this study we investigated the roles of Ca2+ and DNA fragmentation in target cell killing by natural killer (NK) cells. The effector cells induced a rapid, sustained increase in cytosolic Ca2+ concentration in Jurkat target cells. Buffering the target cell cytosolic Ca2+ with the Ca2(+)-selective dye, quin-2, prevented target cell killing. Extensive DNA fragmentation was associated with killing in every target tested, and this response was also blocked by quin-2. The endonuclease inhibitor, aurintricarboxylic acid, inhibited both DNA fragmentation and killing without influencing the Ca2+ increase in target cells. Thus, it is concluded that NK cell killing depends on a Ca2+ increase and appears to involve endogenous endonuclease activation in target cells.