Macrophage phagocytosis: use of fluorescence microscopy to distinguish between extracellular and intracellular bacteria.
One of the challenges of phagocytosis research is to differentiate bacteria adherent to a host cell from bacteria which the cell has internalized. To address this question, various techniques such as fluorescence microscopy, electron microscopy, and flow cytometry have been used. We have adapted a flow cytometric method (Fattorossi et al., 1989) to use fluorescence microscopy for studying phagocytosis of fluorescein-labeled Listeria by inflammatory mouse peritoneal macrophages. In this assay, ethidium bromide is used as a quenching agent and is added to cells after they have phagocytosed labeled bacteria. Ethidium bromide causes extracellular FITC-labeled Listeria to fluoresce red-orange, whereas intracellular bacteria are not exposed to the dye and remain green. This process allows distinction between intracellular and extracellular bacteria by simultaneous visualization of both populations.
Drevets
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DA
Department of Medicine, National Jewish Center for Immunology and Respiratory Medicine, Denver, CO 80206.
Campbell
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PA
D000818:Animals; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion / Q000276:immunology*; D004705:Endocytosis / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000276:immunology*