A comparative analysis of the cell surface properties of activated vs endogenous mouse natural killer cells

Mouse natural killer (NK) cells can be activated by interferon and by interferon inducers, such as viruses. In the present report we compared the cell surface properties of the nonactivated "endogenous" NK cells from normal mice with NK cells activated in vivo by acute infection with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) or in vitro by interferon. Several striking differences were found: 1) in vivo LCMV-activated as well as in vitro interferon-activated NK cells were more adherent to nylon wool columns than the endogenous NK cells; 2) activated NK cells were more EA-monolayer adherent than endogenous NK cells; this adherence could be blocked by streptococcal A protein, indicating that activated NK cells expressed greater Fc receptor mediated adherence; 3) LCMV-activated NK cells that passed through nylon wool columns expressed relatively low EA adherence properties; 4) the sensitivity of NK cells to anti-theta serum + complement treatment was increased in spleen cells late after LCMV infection (day 6 to 7) but not in spleen cells early after infection (day 2 to 3); 5) as shown by centrifugal elutriation, LCMV-activated spleens contained a population of large NK cells that were not present among endogenous spleen cells. In contrast to previous reports, these findings show that there are several distinct changes as a result of both long-term in vivo activation or of short-term in vitro activation of NK cells. These changes might functionally be involved in the increased lytic ability of activated NK cells.