Skip to main content

Analysis of Neutrophil Polarization and Chemotaxis

  • Protocol
Neutrophil Methods and Protocols

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology™ ((MIMB,volume 412))

Abstract

Neutrophil polarization and directed migration (chemotaxis) are critical for the inflammatory response. Neutrophil chemotaxis is achieved by the sensing of narrow gradients of chemoattractant and the subsequent polarization and directed migration toward the chemotactic source. Despite recent progress, the signaling mechanisms that regulate neutrophil polarization during chemotaxis have not been clearly defined. Here, we describe methods to analyze neutrophil polarization and asymmetric redistribution of signaling components induced by chemoattractant using immunofluorescence. Further, methods are described to dissect the role of specific signaling pathways during chemotaxis by the use of murine neutrophils from transgenic mouse models. Finally, methods for time-lapse microscopy and transwell assay for the analysis of neutrophil chemotaxis will also be discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Protocol
USD 49.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Nathan, C. (2006) Neutrophils and immunity: challenges and opportunities. Nat. Rev. Immunol. 6, 173–182.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Mollinedo, F., Borregaard, N., and Boxer, L. A. (1999) Novel trends in neutrophil structure, function and development. Immunol. Today 20, 535–537.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Van Haastert, P. J. and Devreotes, P. N. (2004) Chemotaxis: signalling the way forward. Nat. Rev. Mol. Cell Biol. 5, 626–634.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Postma, M., Bosgraaf, L., Loovers, H. M., and Van Haastert, P. J. (2004) Chemotaxis: signalling modules join hands at front and tail. EMBO Rep. 5, 35–40.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Iijima, M., Huang, Y. E., and Devreotes, P. (2002) Temporal and spatial regulation of chemotaxis. Dev. Cell 3, 469–478.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Chung, C. Y., Funamoto, S., and Firtel, R. A. (2001) Signaling pathways controlling cell polarity and chemotaxis. Trends Biochem. Sci. 26, 557–566.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Meili, R., Sasaki, A. T., and Firtel, R. A. (2005) Rho Rocks PTEN. Nat. Cell Biol. 7, 334–335.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Meili, R. and Firtel, R. A. (2003) Two poles and a compass. Cell 114, 153–156.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Weiner, O. D., Rentel, M. C., Ott, A. et al. (2006) Hem-1 complexes are essential for Rac activation, actin polymerization, and myosin regulation during neutrophil chemotaxis. PLoS. Biol. 4, e38.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Dekker, L. V. and Segal, A. W. (2000) Perspectives: signal transduction. Signals to move cells. Science 287, 982–3,985.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Weiner, O. D., Servant, G., Welch, M. D., Mitchison, T. J., Sedat, J. W., and Bourne, H. R. (1999) Spatial control of actin polymerization during neutrophil chemotaxis. Nat. Cell Biol. 1, 75–81.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Heit, B., Tavener, S., Raharjo, E., and Kubes, P. (2002) An intracellular signaling hierarchy determines direction of migration in opposing chemotactic gradients. J. Cell Biol. 159, 91–102.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Foxman, E. F., Kunkel, E. J., and Butcher, E. C. (1999) Integrating conflicting chemotactic signals. The role of memory in leukocyte navigation. J. Cell Biol. 147, 577–588.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Foxman, E. F., Campbell, J. J., and Butcher, E. C. (1997) Multistep navigation and the combinatorial control of leukocyte chemotaxis. J. Cell Biol. 139, 1349–1360.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Hogg, N., Henderson, R., Leitinger, B., McDowall, A., Porter, J., and Stanley, P. (2002) Mechanisms contributing to the activity of integrins on leukocytes. Immunol. Rev. 186, 164–171.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Pinkerton, P. H., Robinson, J. B., and Senn, J. S. (1978) Lazy leucocyte syndrome—disorder of the granulocyte membrane? J. Clin. Pathol. 31, 300–308.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Miller, M. E., Oski, F. A., and Harris, M. B. (1971) Lazy-leucocyte syndrome. A new disorder of neutrophil function. Lancet 1, 665–669.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Lokuta, M. A., Cooper, K. M., Aksentijevich, I., Kastner, D. L., and Huttenlocher, A. (2005) Neutrophil chemotaxis in a patient with neonatal-onset multisystem inflammatory disease and Muckle-Wells syndrome. Ann. Allergy Asthma Immunol. 95, 394–399.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Eddy, R. J., Pierini, L. M., and Maxfield, F. R. (2002) Microtubule asymmetry during neutrophil polarization and migration. Mol. Biol. Cell 13, 4470–4483.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Ding, M., Robinson, J. M., Behrens, B. C., and Vandre, D. D. (1995) The microtubule cytoskeleton in human phagocytic leukocytes is a highly dynamic structure. Eur. J. Cell Biol. 66, 234–245.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Kindzelskii, A. L., Sitrin, R. G., and Petty, H. R. (2004) Cutting edge: optical microspectrophotometry supports the existence of gel phase lipid rafts at the lamellipodium of neutrophils: apparent role in calcium signaling. J. Immunol. 172, 4681–4685.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Nuzzi, P. A., Lokuta, M. A., and Huttenlocher, A. (2006) Analysis of neutrophil chemotaxis. Methods Mol. Biol. 370, 23–35.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Ruoslahti, E., Hayman, E. G., Pierschbacher, M., and Engvall, E. (1982) Fibronectin: purification, immunochemical properties, and biological activities. Methods Enzymol. 82 Pt A, 803–831.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Hauert, A. B., Martinelli, S., Marone, C., and Niggli, V. (2002) Differentiated HL-60 cells are a valid model system for the analysis of human neutrophil migration and chemotaxis. Int. J. Biochem. Cell Biol. 34, 838–854.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Hoff, J. (2000) Methods of blood collection in the mouse. Lab Animal 29, 47–53.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Miner, N. A., Koehler, J., and Greenaway, L. (1969) Intraperitoneal injection of mice. Appl. Microbiol. 17, 250–251.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Eddy, R. J., Pierini, L. M., and Maxfield, F. R. (2002) Microtubule asymmetry during neutrophil polarization and migration. Mol. Biol. Cell 13, 4470–4483.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Kindzelskii, A. L., Sitrin, R. G., and Petty, H. R. (2004) Cutting edge: optical microspectrophotometry supports the existence of gel phase lipid rafts at the lamellipodium of neutrophils: apparent role in calcium signaling. J. Immunol. 172, 4681–4685.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Ding, M., Robinson, J. M., Behrens, B. C., and Vandre, D. D. (1995) The microtubule cytoskeleton in human phagocytic leukocytes is a highly dynamic structure. Eur. J. Cell Biol. 66, 234–245.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Heit, B. and Kubes, P. (2003) Measuring chemotaxis and chemokinesis: the underagarose cell migration assay. Sci. STKE. 2003, L5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Foxman, E. F., Kunkel, E. J., and Butcher, E. C. (1999) Integrating conflicting chemotactic signals. The role of memory in leukocyte navigation. J. Cell Biol. 147, 577–588.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Wells, C. M. and Ridley, A. J. (2005) Analysis of cell migration using the Dunn chemotaxis chamber and time-lapse microscopy. Methods Mol. Biol. 294, 31–41.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Rhoads, D. S., Nadkarni, S. M., Song, L., Voeltz, C., Bodenschatz, E., and Guan, J. L. (2005) Using microfluidic channel networks to generate gradients for studying cell migration. Methods Mol. Biol. 294, 347–357.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Abhyankar, V. V., Lokuta, M. A., Huttenlocher, A., and Beebe, D. J. (2006) Characterization of a membrane-based gradient generator for use in cell-signaling studies. Lab. Chip. 6, 389–393.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Nuzzi, P. A., Lokuta, M. A., and Huttenlocher, A. (2006) Analysis of neutrophil chemotaxis. Methods Mol. Biol. 96, In press.

    Google Scholar 

  36. Zigmond, S. H. (1977) Ability of polymorphonuclear leukocytes to orient in gradients of chemotactic factors. J. Cell Biol. 75, 606–616.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Zigmond, S. H. and Hirsch, J. G. (1973) Leukocyte locomotion and chemotaxis. New methods for evaluation, and demonstration of a cell-derived chemotactic factor. J. Exp. Med. 137, 387–410.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Lokuta, M. A., Nuzzi, P. A., and Huttenlocher, A. (2003) Calpain regulates neutrophil chemotaxis. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 100, 4006–4011.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Popesko, P., Rajtova, V., and Horak, J. (2003) A Colour Atlas of Anatomy of Small Laboratory Animals. Elsevier.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2007 Humana Press Inc., Totowa, NJ

About this protocol

Cite this protocol

Lokuta, M.A., Nuzzi, P.A., Huttenlocher, A. (2007). Analysis of Neutrophil Polarization and Chemotaxis. In: Quinn, M.T., DeLeo, F.R., Bokoch, G.M. (eds) Neutrophil Methods and Protocols. Methods in Molecular Biology™, vol 412. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-467-4_14

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-467-4_14

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-58829-788-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-59745-467-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

Publish with us

Policies and ethics