Characterization of a series of vacuolar type H(+)-ATPase inhibitors on CTL-mediated cytotoxicity.

Four vacuolar type H(+)-ATPase (V-ATPase) inhibitors, i.e. concanamycin A (CMA), bafilomycin A1 (BMA), destruxin E (DRE) and prodigiosin 25-C (PRG) profoundly blocked the perforin-dependent cytotoxicity mediated by CD8+ CTL clone. Cytoplasmic acidic compartments were not detected under fluorescent microscopy after treatment of the cells with these V-ATPase inhibitors. In the lytic granule fractions, BMA, CMA, DRE and PRG completely abrogated the perforin activity, although these drugs slightly decreased the granzyme A activity. Under the same conditions, BMA and CMA markedly reduced the perforin content, while DRE and PRG had no significant effects as assayed by immunoblotting using anti-perforin antibody. These data suggest that perforin is predominantly inactivated even without proteolysis in DRE- or PRG-treated cells. We propose that acidic pH is essential to maintain not only quantity but also quality of perform in the lytic granules.