Spontaneous and induced cytotoxicity of axial organ cells from Asterias rubens (Asterid--echinoderm).

Spontaneously occurring cytotoxicity of starfish axial organ cells on target cells has been studied. It appears that in an allogeneic system no cytotoxic phenomenon occurs after 4 or 6 h of culture, whereas spontaneous cytotoxicity toward malignant vertebrate target cells is shown and reaches its maximum at 37 degrees C. In a certain way, the axial organ cell population includes cells, which may be compared with vertebrate natural killer cells. On the other hand, it must also be noted that axial organ cells are able to exert in a few cases, an induced cytotoxicity on MBL2 cells. This phenomenon appears at the end of the fourth day of culture.