A battle is raging over the molecular identity of the voltage-gated, H+-selective conductance that has been recorded in activated and/or depolarized phagocytes. Having stepped out of this arena, we feel uncommitted to any particular viewpoint and hope to be able to provide below an unbiased opinion of what we feel has been established unambiguously, and what requires additional confirmation before conclusive statements can be issued.
The innate immune system is the first line of defense against invading microorganisms. This immune response is performed by specialized cells, macrophages, neutrophils, eosinophils, and dendritic cells, that recognize, ingest, and destroy pathogenic organisms. These professional phagocytes have developed an arsenal of microbicidal strategies aimed at ridding the organism of potential infectious agents. After engulfment, the foreign organism is trapped in a specialized vesicle, called the phagosome, which acquires microbicidal ability as a result of a series of...
