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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2007 Nov 23.
Published in final edited form as: Annu Rev Immunol. 2005;23:197–223. doi: 10.1146/annurev.immunol.23.021704.115653

Figure 3.

Figure 3

The neutral proteases elastase and cathepsin G as well as K+ flux are required for microbial killing and digestion by neutrophils. Cathepsin G, neutrophil elastase (NE), and p47phox (CGD) knockout mice are susceptible to S. aureus (a) and C. albicans (b) in vivo, and their neutrophils kill these organisms poorly in the test tube (c) and (d) (adapted from ​6). Inhibition of the BKCa K+ channel with specific inhibitors paxilline (PAX) and iberiotoxin (IBTX) prevents killing of S. aureus (e), S. marscescens (f ), and C. albicans (g) by neutrophils, whereas the opener NS1619 and nonspecific inhibitor 4-aminopyridine were without effect. The BKCa K+ channel blockers also inhibited digestion of radiolabeled, killed S. aureus (h) (adapted from ​74). Neither the loss of the proteases nor blockage of the BKCa channel affected phagocytosis, oxidase activity, or iodination.