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Assessment of Neutrophil Apoptosis

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Neutrophil

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 2087))

Abstract

The process of neutrophil apoptosis has an important role in the resolution of acute inflammation. Apoptotic cell death is characterized by a coordinated sequence of cellular alterations that serve to uncouple neutrophil effector functions whilst maintaining plasma membrane integrity. In this way the release on neutrophil intracellular contents, including proteases, glycosidases, and reactive oxygen species, is limited during apoptosis. In addition, plasma membrane alterations associated with neutrophil apoptosis provide molecular cues that enable recognition by phagocytic cells, including macrophages. The recognition and uptake of apoptotic neutrophils by macrophages dampens proinflammatory responses to pathogen- or damage-associated molecular patterns and triggers release of proresolution mediators, that further promote resolution of inflammation. The key cellular and molecular events that act to control neutrophil apoptosis and subsequent macrophage phagocytosis have been characterized by in vitro studies, unveiling potential therapeutic targets for the manipulation of these regulatory pathways. In this chapter, we outline some of the key assays that are used to assess neutrophil apoptosis in vitro, together with methods to assess activation of the apoptotic machinery and phagocytic clearance of apoptotic neutrophils.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge funding from the Medical Research Council UK (MR/KO13386/1: AGR), Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and MRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Optical Imaging (OPTIMA) (EP/L016559; NDB), European Research Council (ERC Consolidator Grant 771443, MV). The facilities and staff of the Queen’s Medical Research Flow Cytometry Facility are gratefully acknowledged. Figures 1 and 2 are reprinted by permission from Springer, Methods in Molecular Biology; Assessment of neutrophil apoptosis. Dorward DA, Rossi AG, Dransfield I, Lucas CD (2014) 1124:159–180. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-845-4_10

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen’s Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK

    Nicole D. Barth, Marc Vendrell, David A. Dorward,  Adriano G. Rossi & Ian Dransfield

Authors
  1. Nicole D. Barth
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  2. Marc Vendrell
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  3. David A. Dorward
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  4. Adriano G. Rossi
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  5. Ian Dransfield
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ian Dransfield .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA

    Mark T. Quinn

  2. Laboratory of Bacteriology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA

    Frank R. DeLeo

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Barth, N.D., Vendrell, M., Dorward, D.A., Rossi, .G., Dransfield, I. (2020). Assessment of Neutrophil Apoptosis. In: Quinn, M., DeLeo, F. (eds) Neutrophil. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 2087. Humana, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-0154-9_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-0154-9_13

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  • Publisher Name: Humana, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-0716-0153-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-0716-0154-9

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