Open AccessBacteria‐phagocyte interactions: emerging tactics in an ancient rivalry
Author(s) -
Cross Alan S.,
Kelly Niamh M.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1990.tb03526.x
Subject(s) - phagocyte , virulence , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , phagocytosis , opsonin , bacteria , oxidative phosphorylation , immunology , genetics , gene , biochemistry
Although phagocytes appear to have a redundancy of both oxidative and non‐oxidative killing mechanisms, nevertheless, bacterial pathogens are still able to evade these defenses in vivo and cause lethal infection. As the mechanisms by which phagocytes function have become detailed at the molecular level, both the recognition of specific bacterial virulence determinants and their effects at specific sites in the phagocytes are also being identified. Knowledge of these interactions may permit the use of immunomodulators either to neutralize these virulence determinants or to enhance the bacterial capabilities of the phagocyte.