Chemotaxis of neutrophil leukocytes towards substratum-bound protein attractants

Abstract

Human blood neutrophil leukocytes were shown by the checkerboard filter assay to be capable of chemotactic migration in response to gradients of filter-bound chemotactic proteins in the absence of protein in free solution. Chemotactic proteins (casein, denatured serum albumin) and chemokinetic proteins (native serum albumin) bind substantially to substrata such as filters and glass, whereas low molecular weight chemotactic factors such as formyl-methionyl-phenylalanine bind poorly. Cells do not locomote towards the latter factors in the absence of protein but can, when migrating on substratum-bound albumin, respond chemotactically to gradients of fluid-phase formyl peptide.