Nonspecific cytotoxic cells of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) kill YAC-1 targets by both necrotic and apoptic mechanisms.

Nonspecific cytotoxic cells (NCC) have been identified in a number of fish species and are thought to be evolutionary progenitors of mammalian natural killer cells. We show here that trout NCC are functionally similar to cytotoxic cells of higher vertebrates in that they mediate cytotoxicity through both mechanisms of apoptosis and necrosis. To demonstrate that trout NCC inflict apoptic and necrotic lesions in tumor target cells, DNA fragmentation and 51chromium release assays were conducted using leukocytes isolated from peripheral blood, spleen, and anterior kidney. At effector-target ratios of 25:1, 50:1, 100:1, and 200:1, the release of thymidine-labeled DNA fragments and the release of 51chromium from YAC-1 target cells paralleled one another. Percent chromium release and DNA fragmentation increased when effector:target incubation times were extended from 4 to 18 h. As evidenced in agarose gels, the pattern of fragmentation induced by trout effector cells was identical to that produced by BALB/c NK cells. Similar to human and murine NK cells, trout NCC were maximally inhibited by 50 mM mannose-6-phosphate. Morphologic characteristics of rainbow trout NCC were examined using light and electron microscopy. Photomicrographs of effector:target cell mixtures after a 1 h incubation show NCC binding to target YAC-1 cells. Transmission electron micrographs of the conjugates revealed that the cells responsible for killing are small (4.2-4.5 microns), agranular mononuclear leukocytes.