This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Welsh, I. R. H. Articles by Spitznagel, J. K. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Welsh, I. R. H. Articles by Spitznagel, J. K.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Infect Immun. 1971 August; 4(2): 97-102
Copyright © 1971 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Distribution of Lysosomal Enzymes, Cationic Proteins, and Bactericidal Substances in Subcellular Fractions of Human Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes

¹ Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514

ABSTRACT

Separation of homogenates of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) into different fractions by sedimentation in centrifugal fields that ranged from 126 x g to 50,000 x g resulted in a differential distribution of the lysosomal enzymes. Peroxidase, lysozyme, beta-glucuronidase, and acid phosphatase activity were separated from each other. This demonstrates that the lysosomes of human PMN comprise at least three and possibly four physically and chemically different cytoplasmic particles. Proteins which are more cationic than lysozyme and which may be analogous to cationic lysosomal protein of rabbit PMN were associated with lysozyme and beta-glucuronidase rich granules. Antibacterial activity was present in four of the five cell fractions which this work produced. These results are significant because they differ from those obtained with rabbits and because they directly influence future experimental design and interpretation, in attempts to analyze antibacterial, scavenging, and inflammatory capacities of human PMN. Since lysosomes differ physically, biochemically, and morphologically, they may well differ with respect to their function in the PMN.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Ledford, J. G., Kovarova, M., Koller, B. H. (2007). Impaired Host Defense in Mice Lacking ONZIN. J. Immunol. 178: 5132-5143 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Ganz, T., Gabayan, V., Liao, H.-I, Liu, L., Oren, A., Graf, T., Cole, A. M. (2003). Increased inflammation in lysozyme M-deficient mice in response to Micrococcus luteus and its peptidoglycan. Blood 101: 2388-2392 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Borregaard, N., Cowland, J. B. (1997). Granules of the Human Neutrophilic Polymorphonuclear Leukocyte. Blood 89: 3503-3521 [Full Text]