Chemoattractant Receptor-G-Protein Coupling

The “professional phagocytes”, that is, neutrophils, basophils, eosinophils, monocytes, and macrophages, play key roles in host defense against invading bacteria (Rossi, 1986, Seifert and Schultz, 1991). The importance of phagocytes in host defense is highlighted by chronic granulomatous disease in which certain components of the superoxide anion (O 2 −)-generating (“respiratory burst”) NADPH oxidase are defective (Seifert and Schultz, 1991, Malech et al., 1997). Patients with chronic granulomatous disease suffer from increased susceptibility to bacterial infections and develop chronic granulomas which are name-giving for the disease. Moreover, the activity of phagocytes has been implicated in the pathogenesis of nonbacterial diseases such as myocardial infarction, emphysema, rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriasis (Malech and Callin, 1987, Weiss, 1989).