Inability to detect a K cell in bovine peripheral blood leukocytes

Antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity to viral-infected cells, chicken red blood cells, and tumor cells was tested using different effector cell populations: polymorphonuclear cells, mononuclear cells, and mononuclear cells separated into adherent and nonadherent populations by Sephadex G-10. Polymorphonuclear cells were the most efficient mediators of antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity against most targets, although a combination of G-10 adherent and polymorphonuclear cells was more efficient in killing infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus-infected cells than either single cell population. Removal of G-10 adherent cells from the mononuclear cell population removed all antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity from that population, indicating the lack of a typical K cell in bovine peripheral blood.