Eater: a big bite into phagocytosis

Cell. 2005 Oct 21;123(2):190-2. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2005.10.005.

Abstract

The phagocytosis of invading microorganisms by specialized blood cells is a crucial element of innate immunity in both mammals and insects. In this issue of Cell, Kocks et al. (2005) demonstrate that Eater, a scavenger receptor, plays an important role in the recognition and phagocytosis of bacteria in the fruit fly Drosophila.

Publication types

  • Comment

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Motifs
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Bacterial Infections / prevention & control
  • Conserved Sequence
  • Drosophila / cytology
  • Drosophila / embryology
  • Drosophila / genetics
  • Drosophila / microbiology*
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian
  • Escherichia coli / pathogenicity
  • Frameshift Mutation
  • Genes, Insect
  • Insect Proteins / chemistry
  • Insect Proteins / genetics
  • Insect Proteins / metabolism
  • Insect Proteins / physiology*
  • Macrophages / metabolism
  • Membrane Proteins / chemistry
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism
  • Membrane Proteins / physiology*
  • Microarray Analysis
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutagenesis
  • Phagocytosis*
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • RNA Interference
  • Receptors, Scavenger / metabolism*
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • Serratia marcescens / pathogenicity

Substances

  • Insect Proteins
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Receptors, Scavenger