Polarization of NK cell cytoskeleton upon conjugation with sensitive target cells

We studied the cytoskeletal changes in natural killer (NK) cells during conjugate formation, i.e., when NK cells make contact with sensitive vs resistant target cells. F-actin and vinculin were seen to polarize at the contact sites upon conjugation with sensitive K562 cells, whereas in conjugates with resistant Raji target cells such an orientation was an infrequent finding. Myosin and two other cytoskeletal proteins, spectrin and vimentin, on the other hand, showed a random distribution in conjugating NK cells regardless of the target cell type. Hence the cytoskeletal redistribution associated with conjugation seems to be different from the receptor capping phenomenon, which is accompanied by clustering of actin, myosin, vimentin, and spectrin. On the basis of these results it seems probable that the lytic conjugate formation in NK-mediated cytotoxicity is associated with the formation of a specific type of junction that involves actin and vinculin. This cytoskeletal reorganization precedes and could be a prerequisite for the polarization of the cellular secretory apparatus and may be functionally responsible for the required cytokinetic movements.