Skip to main content
SLU publication database (SLUpub)

Research article2013Peer reviewedOpen access

Granzyme D Is a Novel Murine Mast Cell Protease That Is Highly Induced by Multiple Pathways of Mast Cell Activation

Rönnberg, Elin; Calounova, Gabriela; Guss, Bengt; Lundequist, Anders; Pejler, Gunnar

Abstract

Granzymes are serine proteases known mostly for their role in the induction of apoptosis. Granzymes A and B have been extensively studied, but relatively little is known about granzymes C to G and K to M. T cells, lymphohematopoietic stromal cells, and granulated metrial gland cells express granzyme D, but the function of granzyme D is unknown. Here we show that granzyme D is expressed by murine mast cells and that its level of expression correlates positively with the extent of mast cell maturation. Coculture of mast cells with live, Gram-positive bacteria caused a profound, Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2)-dependent induction of granzyme D expression. Granzyme D expression was also induced by isolated bacterial cell wall components, including lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and peptidoglycan, and by stem cell factor, IgE receptor cross-linking, and calcium ionophore stimulation. Granzyme D was released into the medium in response to mast cell activation. Granzyme D induction was dependent on protein kinase C and nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT). Together, these findings identify granzyme D as a novel murine mast cell protease and implicate granzyme D in settings where mast cells are activated, such as bacterial infection and allergy.

Published in

Infection and Immunity
2013, Volume: 81, number: 6, pages: 2085-2094
Publisher: AMER SOC MICROBIOLOGY