Perforin, also known as the pore-forming protein, pfp, is a 70 kD cytolytic protein expressed in the cytoplasmic granules of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and natural killer (NK) cells. It is one of the major effector molecules used by CTL and NK cells to mediate targeted cell killing and lysis, and thus has an important role in the immune response against tumors and virus infections. Perforin is a membrane-disrupting protein that introduces the granzymes into a target cell, causing cytoplasmic protein degredation and eventual apoptosis.
Perforin antibodies have been used in flow cytometry studies to monitor expression patterns and cell distribution patterns relative to cell differentiation states in immature T-cells (1), HIV-infected cells (2), and virus-specific CD8 T-cells (3). Immunoprecipitation studies with perforin antibodies in White’s lab have allowed them to follow the physiological results of IL-21 and IL-15 modulation of HIV-infected T-cells (4). Abo-Elenein, et. al. performed flow cytometry with perforin antibodies to show that inhibition of perforin could be beneficial for systemic lupus erythematosus patients (5). Furthermore, other studies with perforin antibodies suggest a role for perforin expression in suppressing allergic airway inflammation (6).
Novus Biologicals offers perforin reagents for your research needs including:
