# NEUTROPHILS AND BACTERIAL PHOSPHOLIPID DEGRADATION

> **NIH NIH R01** · NEW YORK UNIVERSITY · 1993 · $235,184

## Abstract

This proposal concerns the role and regulation of defined phospholipases
during phagocytosis by PMN and during the antibacterial action of potent
membrane-active proteins present in inflammatory fluids or purified in
this laboratory from polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN).

Our specific aims are to examine: (1) The molecular determinants of the
action of selective phospholipases A2 (PLA2) (e.g.  PMN, inflammatory
fluid) against phospholipase A-less mutants of Escherichia coli and the
structural basis of the functional diversity of this conserved family of
14 kDa PLA2; (2) The regulation of bacterial (phospho)lipid degradation
during phagocytosis and its role in intracellular bacterial killing and
disassembly; and (3) The nature and possible functional consequences of
the interaction of extracellular PLA2 with PMN or other "inflammatory"
host cells.

These aims have their origin in our earlier work and their pursuit will
therefore rest heavily on well-tested methods used in this laboratory,
including: collection of PMN and inflammatory exudates; functional assays
of PMN (protein)-bacteria interactions such as phagocytosis, bacterial
killing, bacterial phospholipid degradation and biosynthesis; purification
of proteins, including PLA2; construction and expression of recombinant
PLA2 variants; and construction and use of bacterial mutants.

The long-term objectives of this proposal concern two fundamental
questions:

(l) What regulates the action of defined endogenous and exogenous
phospholipases on the phospholipids of natural membranes?

(2) What determines the extent of digestion and disassembly of bacteria
killed by phagocytes?

The proposed studies are likely to provide new insights related to the
function of host defenses in infection and of membranes in general.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3128018
- **Project number:** 2R01AI018571-12
- **Recipient organization:** NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
- **SAM.gov UEI:** NX9PXMKW5KW8
- **Principal Investigator:** JERROLD P WEISS
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1993
- **Award amount:** $235,184
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 1985-09-01 → 1998-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3128018

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3128018, NEUTROPHILS AND BACTERIAL PHOSPHOLIPID DEGRADATION (2R01AI018571-12). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3128018. Licensed CC0.

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