Lipid specificity of the immune effector perforin.

Perforin is a pore forming protein used by cytotoxic T lymphocytes to remove cancerous or virus-infected cells during the immune response. During the response, the lymphocyte membrane becomes refractory to perforin function by accumulating densely ordered lipid rafts and externalizing negatively charged lipid species. The dense membrane packing lowers the capacity of perforin to bind, and the negatively charged lipids scavenge any residual protein before pore formation. Using atomic force microscopy on model membrane systems, we here provide insight into the molecular basis of perforin lipid specificity.