Essential role of surface-bound chemoattractant in leukocyte migration

MANY chemotactic factors, usually proteins or peptides, have been isolated and studied, but little is known about the basic mechanism of leukocyte migration. This movement is termed chemotaxis if its direction is determined by substances in the cells' environment1. The chemotactic agent is assumed to convey information to the leukocytes by interaction with receptors. The subsequent sequence of events thus triggered in the cells is unknown but metabolic changes such as activation of an esterase have been reported as occurring as the cells move forward (for review see ref. 2). A role for surface-bound chemoattractant in cell locomotion was suggested by the observation that mouse fibroblasts m…