The biology of macrophages.
The main properties of the mononuclear phagocytic system (MPS) are summarized, focusing on their relevance within the framework of the steady-state and the inducible functions of the mammalian immune system, more specifically the immune system of the laboratory mouse, a reference vertebrate which remains the best studied. A peculiar attention is given to the rationale underlying the generation of so-called specific tools and reagents whose use is promoted to characterize this lineage, whatever the level under study, i.e. tissular, cellular, or subcellular levels. As one lineage among other lineages of the hemopoietic system, the MPS is characterizable by constitutive and inducible phenotypic and functional markers whose combination is unique for a given tissular micro-environment. Considering our present understanding of the innate and adaptive immune system functions, some of the properties of the MPS are discussed in relation with properties of another recently recognized hemopoietic lineage, namely the dendritic leukocyte system.
Bosque
F
F
Unité d'Immunophysiologie cellulaire, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
Belkaid
Y
Y
Briend
E
E
Hevin
B
B
Lebastard
M
M
Soussi
N
N
Milon
G
G
D000818:Animals; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000502:physiology; D006410:Hematopoiesis; D008264:Macrophages / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D010586:Phagocytes / Q000502:physiology