Granulocytes and monocytes Flashcards
Which cells are the earliest to arrive at a site of injury?
Neutrophils
Which cells are a part of the innate immune response?
Granulocytes (Neutrophils, Eosinophils, Basophils/Mast cells) + Monocytes & monocyte-derived cells (myeloid cells) (monocytes, macrophages, dendritic cells)
What is the life span of neutrophils in humans? in mice?
Around 5 days in humans
around 12 hours in mice
What are the main functions of neutrophils?
- Essential for resistance to invasion by microbes
- Important sentinel cells
- First cells to arrive in any kinds of wounds
What are the steps of neutrophil action?
- recruitment to the site of infection via blood vessels
- Signals released to “call” neutrophils; vascular endothelium changes to become “sticky” - extravasation from blood vessel
- migration through tissue
- activation in response to pathogens, their products or the products of distressed cells (via various pattern recognition receptors (PRRs))
- initiation of mechanisms to eliminate pathogens or infected cells
- interaction with & recruitment of other immune cells to site of infection
- E.g. T cells, monocytes etc. - contribution to resolution of inflammation & tissue repair
How does the vascular endothelium catch neutrophils at the site of infection?
the endothelium starts to express receptors so neutrophils adhere to the vasculature –> e.g. P-selectin, E-selectin)
- Bound on neutrophils by P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL1) and E-selectin ligand (ESL1) and CD44
What is a chemokine?
chemical messengers which induce directional movement of cells, detected by chemokine receptors
Transmembrane receptors
Name the 3 steps for the adhesion of a neutrophil to the vasculature
a. Interactions between chemokine receptors on the neutrophil and chemokines coating the vessel
b. Interactions between chemokine receptors on the neutrophil and chemokines coating the vessel
c. Activation of integrins
What are the 3 steps in neutrophil recruitment?
- Vascular endothelium changes to become “sticky”
- Adhesion
- Transmigration
How does transmigration occur?
a. Requires integrins
b. Can involve digestion of basement membrane with secreted proteinases that digest extracellular matrix components
c. Can only enter if the junctions have opened a bit.
What is chemotaxis?
chemotaxis: directional movement of cells along a concentration gradient of a chemical stimulus
Chemokines released, gradient is formed – neutrophils can sense gradient and move to areas of higher chemokine concentrations
Name 4/5 examples of neutrophil chemoattractants
- lipid mediator LTB4
- bacteria-derived N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP) – bacterial-derived molecule
- complement component C5a
- CXCL8, CXCL2
What is “swarm initiation”?
First neutrophils that get to the site release more things etc… (cell death, intercellular signal relay,…) Continuous positive loop
What is LAD1?
leukocyte adhesion deficiency: LAD1 is an inherited autosomal recessive disorder with mutations in integrin ITGB2 (b2 integrin, CD18) leading to impaired neutrophil migration, adhesion, and recruitment to site of infection, impaired phagocytosis.
Who discovered phagocytosis?
Elie Metchnikoff
He also hypothesized that this process might have a role in host defense
He was the first immunologist to win a nobel prize in medicine
What are the steps in phagocytosis?
- Attachment
- Direct: by pattern recognition receptors
- Indirect: Antibodies might bind bacteria and be recognized by a receptor on the neutrophil (through recognition of FC domain on antibody); complement might also be bound to bacteria and bind to complement receptor on phagocyte - Engulfment
- Rearrangement of actin; cytoskeleton of cell involved, membrane internalized –> phagosome - Phagosome formation
- Acidification, can merge with lysosome etc… - Formation of phagolysosome
- Digestion of pathogen
- Formation of residual body
- Discharge of waste
What is the role of granules?
Production of antimicrobial peptides and proteolytic enzymes
granules are highly specialized lysosomes which contain many antimicrobial substances:
• prevent growth by limiting availability of essential nutrients inside phagosome or by compromising the integrity of the microorganism
• contents can be released into the phagosomes or extracellularly (degranulation)
what enzymes are present in specific granules?
lactoferrin
hCAP18
lysozyme
what enzymes are present in azurophil granules?
alpha defensin
lysozyme
What is an oxidative burst?
is the rapid release of reactive oxygen species (superoxide radical and hydrogen peroxide) from different types of cells
• takes place at cell membrane or phagosome membrane
• essential microbicidal mechanism
• reactive oxygen intermediates (ROIs)
What important enzymes are used in the formation of oxygen bursts?
NADPH oxidase complex is the one forming ROIs (aka NOX/Phox)
• Transfers electrons from the cytosolic NADPH to oxygen –> releases superoxide species
• Can be released in phagosome itself or outside cell (hydroxyl radical groups, hypochloride
• When bound to membrane of bacteria, will force them to burst open
What disease occurs when neutrophils are unable to make reactive oxygen intermediates?
- chronic granulomatous disease: defective phagocyte NADPH oxidase (PHOX) leading to reduced reactive oxygen production – recurrent & atypical infections
Name 2 other ways in which neutrophils can kill/affect other cells
Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs)
Cytokine secretion