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How human leukocytes track down and destroy pathogens: lessons learned from the model organism Dictyostelium discoideum

How human leukocytes track down and destroy pathogens: lessons learned from the model organism... Human leukocytes, including macrophages and neutrophils, are phagocytic immune cells that capture and engulf pathogens and subsequently destroy them in intracellular vesicles. To accomplish this vital task, these leukocytes utilize two basic cell behaviors—chemotaxis for chasing down infectious pathogens and phagocytosis for destroying them. The molecular mechanisms controlling these behaviors are not well understood for immune cells. Interestingly, a soil amoeba, Dictyostelium discoideum, uses these same behaviors to pursue and injest its bacterial food source and to organize its multi-cellular development. Consequently, studies of this model system have provided and will continue to provide us with mechanistic insights into the chemotaxis and phagocytosis of immune cells. Here, we review recent research in these areas that have been conducted in the Chemotaxis Signal Section of NIAID’s Laboratory of Immunogenetics. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Immunologic Research Springer Journals

How human leukocytes track down and destroy pathogens: lessons learned from the model organism Dictyostelium discoideum

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References (42)

Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
Copyright © 2008 by Springer Science + Business Media, LLC
Subject
Medicine & Public Health; Internal Medicine ; Medicine/Public Health, general ; Immunology; Allergology
ISSN
0257-277X
eISSN
1559-0755
DOI
10.1007/s12026-008-8056-7
pmid
18827980
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Human leukocytes, including macrophages and neutrophils, are phagocytic immune cells that capture and engulf pathogens and subsequently destroy them in intracellular vesicles. To accomplish this vital task, these leukocytes utilize two basic cell behaviors—chemotaxis for chasing down infectious pathogens and phagocytosis for destroying them. The molecular mechanisms controlling these behaviors are not well understood for immune cells. Interestingly, a soil amoeba, Dictyostelium discoideum, uses these same behaviors to pursue and injest its bacterial food source and to organize its multi-cellular development. Consequently, studies of this model system have provided and will continue to provide us with mechanistic insights into the chemotaxis and phagocytosis of immune cells. Here, we review recent research in these areas that have been conducted in the Chemotaxis Signal Section of NIAID’s Laboratory of Immunogenetics.

Journal

Immunologic Research – Springer Journals

Published: Oct 1, 2008

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