# NEUTROPHILS AND BACTERIAL PHOSPHOLIPID DEGRADATION

> **NIH NIH R01** · NEW YORK UNIVERSITY · 1987 · $148,437

## Abstract

This proposal concerns the determinants and biological role of the
bacterial phospholipid degradation that accompanies the bactericidal action
of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) and of potent membrane-active
bactericidal proteins that recently have been purified in this laboratory.

Our specific aims are to examine:

I. The factors that determine differences among phospholipases A2 in their
ability to hydrolyze the phospholipids of E.coli S17 (a phospholipase
A-less mutant) in the presence of bactericidal concentrations of these
purified membrane-active proteins.

II. The determinants of bacterial phospholipid degradation during
phagocytosis by PMN.

III. The role of the respiratory burst in digestion of bacteria killed by
PMN.

These aims have their origin in our earlier work and their pursuit will
therefore rely heavily on well-tested methods used in this laboratory,
including:  assays for measuring the interaction of PMN with bacteria; use
of bacterial mutants; assays for lipid biosynthetic and degradative
activities; purification of proteins; chemical modification of proteins.

Our long-term objectives, which relate to membrane biology and host-defense
against infection, are to explore:

1) what regulates the action of defined intrinsic and exogenous
phospholipases on the phospholipids of natural membranes.

2) the host's ability to digest microbial invaders and the reasons and
pathophysiological consequences of incomplete digestion.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3128020
- **Project number:** 5R01AI018571-06
- **Recipient organization:** NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
- **SAM.gov UEI:** NX9PXMKW5KW8
- **Principal Investigator:** PETER ELSBACH
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1987
- **Award amount:** $148,437
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1985-09-01 → 1988-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3128020

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3128020, NEUTROPHILS AND BACTERIAL PHOSPHOLIPID DEGRADATION (5R01AI018571-06). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3128020. Licensed CC0.

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