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Updated: May 22, 2026

Imaging the Neutrophil Phagosome and Cytoplasm Using a Ratiometric pH Indicator
Published on: April 5, 2017
What really happens in the neutrophil phagosome?
1Department of Chemistry, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99163, USA. hurst@wsu.edu
Abstract:
Current viewpoints concerning the bactericidal mechanisms of neutrophils are reviewed from a perspective that emphasizes challenges presented by the inability to duplicate ex vivo the intracellular milieu. Among the challenges considered are the influences of confinement upon substrate availability and reaction dynamics, direct and indirect synergistic interactions between individual toxins, and bacterial responses to stressors. Approaches to gauging relative contributions of various oxidative and nonoxidative toxins within neutrophils using bacteria and bacterial mimics as intrinsic probes are also discussed.
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