Neutrophil extracellular traps: is immunity the second function of chromatin?
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Brinkmann V
PROVIDER: S-EPMC3432757 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Sep
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
Neutrophil extracellular traps: is immunity the second function of chromatin?
Brinkmann Volker V Zychlinsky Arturo A
The Journal of cell biology 20120901 5
Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are made of processed chromatin bound to granular and selected cytoplasmic proteins. NETs are released by white blood cells called neutrophils, maybe as a last resort, to control microbial infections. This release of chromatin is the result of a unique form of cell death, dubbed "NETosis." Here we review our understanding of how NETs are made, their function in infections and as danger signals, and their emerging importance in autoimmunity and coagulation. ...[more]
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