While neutrophil extracellular traps help guard the body from infection, they also can contribute to a range of diseases.
Oct 1, 2019
ABOVE: tami tolpa
When a neutrophil encounters a pathogen, it can respond in several ways: phagocytosis, degranulation, or by releasing neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). In NET release, shown here, the enzyme complex NADPH oxidase generates reactive oxide species (ROS), which in turn initiate the disintegration of granules, releasing neutrophil elastase (NE). NE then migrates to the neutrophil’s nucleus, where it cleaves proteins that package the cell’s DNA as chromosomes. The chromatin expands until it fills up the entire cell, which breaks open and extrudes the NET into the extracellular space. There, the webs are thought to trap and kill the triggering pathogens.
NET FormationWhen a neutrophil encounters a pathogen, it can respond in several ways: phagocytosis, degranulation, or by releasing neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). In NET release, shown here, the enzyme complex NADPH oxidase generates reactive oxide species (ROS), which in turn initiate the disintegration of granules, releasing neutrophil elastase (NE). NE then migrates to the neutrophil’s nucleus, where it cleaves proteins that package the cell’s DNA as chromosomes. The chromatin expands until it fills up the entire cell, which breaks open and extrudes the NET into the extracellular space. There, the webs are thought to trap and kill the triggering pathogens. ![]() Tami tolpa |
NETS IN HEALTHThe exact contribution of NETs to antimicrobial defense has been difficult to nail down, but researchers are slowly elucidating their roles in protecting the body from invaders and other threats, including runaway inflammation. Those roles include:
|
. . . AND DISEASENETs have a dark side that makes them dangerous when inappropriately deployed. The structures have been implicated as contributors to a range of conditions. ![]() Tami tolpa
|
Read the full story.