Tumor target binding induces phosphorylation of two M(r) 65,000 lymphokine-activated killer proteins.

Effector-target cell conjugate formation is an essential step during lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Protein phosphorylation changes in human LAKs after contact with NK-resistant (LAK-sensitive) tumors were examined by two-dimensional SDS-PAGE. Exposure to either SK-Mel-1 (melanoma) or Raji (lymphoma) targets led to increased phosphorylation of two M(r) 65,000 LAK proteins, pp65a and pp65b, with isoelectric points of 5.1 and 5.2, respectively. Phosphorylation of both substrates was initiated between 1 and 5 min after coincubation with tumor targets. Contact between LAKs and targets was required for p65 phosphorylation because soluble tumor factors failed to induce phosphorylation. Normal peripheral blood lymphocyte targets, which are bound very poorly by LAKs and are resistant to killing, failed to induce LAK p65 phosphorylation. The broad protein kinase inhibitor staurosporine inhibited phosphorylation of pp65a and pp65b, supporting the hypothesis that activation of a LAK protein kinase leads to p65 phosphorylation. Cross-linking of CD16 (Fc gamma RIIIA), which mediates antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity in LAKs, also led to increased pp65a and pp65b phosphorylation. Collectively, these data provide correlative evidence that p65 phosphorylation may be involved in the cytolytic function of LAKs.