Receptor-mediated regulation of superoxide production in human neutrophils stimulated by phorbol myristate acetate.

Human neutrophils contain receptors for phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), a complex lipid that induces them to generate superoxide (O (2)). Binding of PMA to these receptors displays specificity, reversibility, and high affinity. The receptor's apparent KD was approximately 0.29 nM and multiple copies (approximately 2.1 +/- 0.6 x 10(5)) were present per neutrophil. We found that the timing and magnitude of the neutrophil's respiratory burst were set independently. The onset of O (2) production occurred after a lag that was inversely proportional to the initial concentration of added PMA. The extent (rate) of O (2) production was directly proportional to the fractional occupancy of the receptor by PMA. Dual regulatory controls, such as those we noted when neutrophils were stimulated by PMA, could afford metabolic stability in the face of transient or low intensity stimuli without compromising quick and powerful responses to larger disturbances.