Methods of analyzing chromatin changes accompanying apoptosis of target cells in killer cell assays.

Natural killer (NK) cells are a crucial component of the immune system. For example, the NK cell-mediated killing of tumor cells is a first line of defense against the development of cancer. Detection and quantification of apoptosis induced in target cells by NK cells is a useful tool for studies of the mechanisms of both immunological protection and pathogenesis. This chapter describes how to do this by using techniques with a broad application to both NK cells and cytotoxic T cells.