LGL-1: a potential triggering molecule on murine NK cells.

Natural killer (NK) cells mediate non-major histocompatibility complex-restricted lysis of tumor cells, lymphokine-activated killing (LAK), antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), and reverse ADCC (RADCC). LGL-1+ cells identify a major subset (50%) of murine NK cells. Here we demonstrate that monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to LGL-1 consistently induce interleukin-2-cultured, and Corynebacterium parvum (in vivo)-activated NK cells to induce RADCC. LGL-1 triggering of activated NK cells coincides with enhanced LGL-1 expression. Testing of murine mAbs to epitopes of CD2 only appears to augment RADCC induced by mAb NK-1.1 on fresh NK cells. Immunoprecipitation of the LGL-1 antigen reveals a highly disulfide-linked 40-kDa homodimer subunit that is N-glycosylated. Therefore, LGL-1 may be similar to other recently characterized NK-associated antigens such as NK-1.1, Ly-49, and NKR-PI. We conclude that although LGL-1 is expressed on "resting" NK cells, enhanced surface expression following activation is usually required for it to act as a signaling molecule.