Human neutrophil peptide receptors: mobilization mediated by phospholipase C

Incubation of human neutrophils with phospholipase C from Clostridium perfringens caused an increase in the ability of the treated cells to bind the chemotactic peptide, F-Met-Leu-Phe. The increase in binding was related to an increase in specific binding of the ligand. The increase in specific binding was, in turn, related to an increased number of peptide receptors. The dissociation constant (KD) for the tripeptide was not altered, on the average, by enzyme treatment. The increase in peptide receptor number was related temporally, and possibly mechanistically, to enzyme-stimulated secretory function involving the secondary granules. Phospholipase C treatment did not similarly augment binding of the complement-derived attractant, C5a. Receptor numbers for different chemotactic ligands may therefore be controlled by different mechanisms. Supplementary experiments provided evidence that this phenomenon was attributable to phospholipase C activity and not to contaminating protease(s).