[Similarity of adhesion to phagocytosis: macrophage interaction with different substrates]

Similarity between adhesion and phagocytosis is shown in the case of macrophages. Both adhesion of macrophages to polystyrene and phagocytosis of polystyrene particles (latex) do not depend much on the temperature and are not inhibited with iodoacetate. In contrast, both cell adhesion to adsorbed immunoglobulin G and phagocytosis of erythrocytes opsonized with immunoglobulin G, which are mediated with Fc-receptors, have some characteristic temperature dependence and are inhibited with iodoacetate. It may be concluded that it is the type of substrate, rather than its size, that determines mechanisms of adhesion and phagocytosis.