Regulation of phagocytosis and phagolysosome fusion in human leukocytes

• Professional phagocytes such as neutrophil granulocytes and macrophages are an esential part of the innate immune system. The neutrophils form the first line of defence against invading microorganisms and are important for rapid killing of the intruders. Macrophages arrive later at the site of infection, kill micoorganisms, degrade dead cells, present antigens and secrete substances that orchestrate the inflammatory response. Neutrophils and macrophages ingest and kill microorganisms in a process called phagocytosis, where calcium signalling has shown to be involved. Inside the cell the microorganism is enclosed in a phagosome, that sequentially fuses with various intracellular vesicles to form a phagolysosome in which the intruder is killed. Killing is achieved through the actions of lytic enzymes, nitrogen oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen metabolites (ROM). Studies on the regulation of phagocytosis are essential since many pathogens are able to survive by interfering with this process. In the first study we investigated intracellular signalling in human neutrophils following engagement of a phagocytic receptor, complement receptor 3 (CR3). For this, we used antibody-coated PANSORBINS® which bound to the ß-chain of CR3 without inducing phagocytosis. We found that these particles elicited an intracellular production of ROM which was dependent on the cytoskeleton and on phospholipase D. In the second study, we showed that the putative calcium-sensor synaptotagmin II is present in neutrophils and is involved in phagocytosis. Synaptotagmin II was found on the specific granules and translocated to the phagosome in a calcium-dependent manner during eR-mediated phagocytosis and to the plasma membrane after stimulation with the formylated peptide, N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine. In the third study, we demonstrate the presence of synaptotagmin IV in human macrophages. Synaptotagmin IV translocated transiendy to macrophage phagosomes during eR- and FcγR-mediated phagocytosis. We also found that eR- and FcyR-mediated uptake was calcium dependent in these cells. In the fourth study, we show that lipophosphoglycan (LPG) from Leishmania donovani induced elevated levels of periphagosomal F-actin, inhibition of phagolysosome maturation and diminished production of ROM in neutrophils during eR-mediated phagocytosis. Together, our data show that generation of ROM occurs early during eR-mediated phagocytosis and could be involved in intracellular signalling, that synaptotagmins are present in professional phagocytes and could act as calcium sensors in phagosomal maturation and secretion, and that LPG can be used as a tool to investigate how actin can regulate phagosomal maturation in neutrophils.

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MEDICIN

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