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A Colorimetric Assay that Specifically Measures Granzyme B Proteolytic Activity: Hydrolysis of Boc-Ala-Ala-Asp-S-Bzl
Published on: November 28, 2014
The role of granzyme B cluster proteases in cell-mediated cytotoxicity
1Department of Internal Medicine and Genetics, Washington University Medical School, St Louis, MO 63110-1093, USA.
Abstract:
Granzymes are neutral serine proteases that are stored in the specialized lytic granules of cytotoxic lymphocytes. A mutation introduced into the granzyme B locus leads to a severe defect in the ability of cytotoxic lymphocytes to induce apoptosis in susceptible target cells, and reduces the severity of class I-dependent acute graft-versus-host disease (GvHD). However, granzyme B-independent cytotoxicity also exists: in CD8+ cells, most of it is perforin-dependent, but in CD4+ cells, the Fas system and an additional pathway are involved. The identification of these pathways and their physiological relevance may lead to new approaches for inhibiting cytotoxic lymphocyte functions.
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