A Cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte (CTL)
Inducing Apoptosis
of a Virus-Infected Cell by Fas/FasL Interaction
A cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL), by
way of its TCR and CD8, can bind to MHC-I/epitope on a virus-infected and cause
apoptosis by way of perforins and granzymes. In addition, a Fas ligand (FasL)
on the CTL can bind to a Fas molecule on the virus-infected cell and
activate the enzymes that lead to apoptosis of the infected cell by means of
destruction of its structural cytoskeleton proteins and by chromosomal
degradation. As a result,
the
cell breaks into fragments that are subsequently removed by phagocytes.