G-protein-coupled formyl peptide receptors play a dual role in neutrophil chemotaxis and bacterial phagocytosis

Mol Biol Cell. 2019 Feb 1;30(3):346-356. doi: 10.1091/mbc.E18-06-0358. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Abstract

A dogma of innate immunity is that neutrophils use G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) for chemoattractant to chase bacteria through chemotaxis and then use phagocytic receptors coupled with tyrosine kinases to destroy opsonized bacteria via phagocytosis. Our current work showed that G-protein-coupled formyl peptide receptors (FPRs) directly mediate neutrophil phagocytosis. Mouse neutrophils lacking formyl peptide receptors (Fpr1/2-/-) are defective in the phagocytosis of Escherichia coli and the chemoattractant N-formyl-Met-Leu-Phe (fMLP)-coated beads. fMLP immobilized onto the surface of a bead interacts with FPRs, which trigger a Ca2+ response and induce actin polymerization to form a phagocytic cup for engulfment of the bead. This chemoattractant GPCR/Gi signaling works independently of phagocytic receptor/tyrosine kinase signaling to promote phagocytosis. Thus, in addition to phagocytic receptor-mediated phagocytosis, neutrophils also utilize the chemoattractant GPCR/Gi signaling to mediate phagocytosis to fight against invading bacteria.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural

MeSH terms

  • Actins / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Chemotactic Factors / pharmacology
  • Chemotaxis* / drug effects
  • Escherichia coli / metabolism*
  • HL-60 Cells
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin G / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Microspheres
  • N-Formylmethionine Leucyl-Phenylalanine / pharmacology
  • Neutrophils / cytology*
  • Neutrophils / drug effects
  • Neutrophils / metabolism*
  • Phagocytosis* / drug effects
  • Polymerization
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / metabolism
  • Receptors, Formyl Peptide / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects

Substances

  • Actins
  • Chemotactic Factors
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Receptors, Formyl Peptide
  • N-Formylmethionine Leucyl-Phenylalanine
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases