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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2012 Jun 11.
Published in final edited form as: J Clin Cell Immunol. 2011 Dec 11;Suppl 3:005. doi: 10.4172/2155-9899.S3-005

Figure 2. T cell-mediated killing of DCs.

Figure 2

Activated T cells express FasL and also secrete cytolytic granules containing perforin and granzyme B. DCs can be killed by activated antigen-specific T cells through Fas- and perforin-dependent mechanisms. Engagement of Fas on DCs by FasL can lead to the activation of caspase-8 and caspase-10 (in humans) and trigger a downstream caspase cascade to induce apoptosis. Cytolytic components secreted by T cells enter DCs through perforin. Granzyme B may directly cleave effector caspases to induce apoptosis. Caspase-independent cell death pathways may also be activated in DCs.