title: Azurophilic granules of human neutrophils contain CD14.
abstract: CD14, the leukocyte receptor for lipopolysaccharide (LPS), is important in the response of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) to infection with gram-negative bacteria. The level of CD14 on the PMN surface increases after exposure to some inflammatory stimuli such as N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP). These newly expressed CD14 molecules probably come from an intracellular pool of preformed receptors. We sought to further characterize PMN CD14 expression, upregulation, and shedding and to define the intracellular location of CD14 molecules. Our results demonstrate that both LPS and fMLP significantly increased CD14 cell surface expression; however, neither phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) or A23187 increased receptor levels on the PMN surface. Neither fMLP, PMA, or A23187 stimulated the release of soluble CD14 from PMNs. Intracellular CD14 was observed in >90% of PMNs examined by flow cytometry and confocal microscopy. Additional analyses using CD14 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and electron microscopy studies, examining PMN granules separated by discontinuous sucrose or Percoll gradients, showed that CD14 was present in both the plasma membrane-secretory vesicle fractions and azurophilic granules.
authors.affiliation: Shriners Burns Institute, Department of Cell Biology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Ohio 45229-3095, USA.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Rodeberg
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Babcock
mesh_terms: D000001:Calcimycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D003594:Cytoplasmic Granules / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors / Q000032:analysis*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D009240:N-Formylmethionine Leucyl-Phenylalanine / Q000494:pharmacology; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000187:drug effects; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D000001:Calcimycin; D009240:N-Formylmethionine Leucyl-Phenylalanine; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate