An azurophilic granule is a cellular object readily stainable with a Romanowsky stain. In white blood cells and hyperchromatin, staining imparts a burgundy or merlot coloration. Neutrophils in particular are known for containing azurophils loaded with a wide variety of anti-microbial defensins that fuse with phagocytic vacuoles. Azurophils may contain myeloperoxidase, phospholipase A2, acid hydrolases, elastase, defensins, neutral serine proteases, bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein,[1] lysozyme, cathepsin G, proteinase 3, and proteoglycans.
Azurophil granules are also known as "primary granules".[2]
Furthermore, the term "azurophils" may refer to a unique type of cells, identified only in reptiles. These cells are similar in size to so-called heterophils with abundant cytoplasm that is finely to coarsely granular and may sometimes contain vacuoles. Granules may impart a purplish hue to the cytoplasm, particularly to the outer region. Occasionally, azurophils are observed with vacuolated cytoplasm.[3]
See also
Azure A
Azure (color)
Lysosome
Specific granules
Neutrophil degranulation
References
^"Phagocytes-Neutrophils". Archived from the original on 2008-08-21.
^John P. Greer; Maxwell Myer Wintrobe (1 December 2008). Wintrobe's clinical hematology. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. p. 173. ISBN 978-0-7817-6507-7. Retrieved 10 November 2010.
^Bonnie Ballard; Ryan Cheek (May 4, 2010). Exotic Animal Medicine for the Veterinary Technician (2 ed.). Wiley-Blackwell. p. 391. ISBN 978-0813822068.
…defensins per granule rather than a decrease in the number of azurophilic or primary granules . Thus, both specific and azurophilic granules are affected in SGD. Eosinophil granules are also affected in this disease …
…cytoplasm is generally basophilic with a prominent paranuclear hof that may contain a few azurophilic granules. Promyelocytes, myelocytes, and metamyelocytes are often prominent and may be large; their …
…lymphoid subtype that is larger than most circulating lymphocytes, and has characteristic azurophilic granules containing acid hydrolases LGLs comprise 10 to 15 percent of normal peripheral blood mononuclear …
…alpha- and beta-defensins: Human alpha-defensins 1 to 4 (HDs 1 to 4) are contained in the azurophilic granules of neutrophils and are also synthesized by Paneth cells at the base of small intestinal crypts …
…cell surface is detected by flow cytometry. Presence of Auer rods (needle-like filaments of primary granules) is a feature of AML. The diagnosis of AML and the differential diagnosis are discussed in…
English Journal
The trafficking protein JFC1 regulates Rac1-GTP localization at the uropod controlling neutrophil chemotaxis and in vivo migration.
Ramadass M, Johnson JL, Marki A, Zhang J, Wolf D, Kiosses WB, Pestonjamasp K, Ley K, Catz SD.
Journal of leukocyte biology. 2019 Jun;105(6)1209-1224.
Neutrophil chemotaxis is essential in responses to infection and underlies inflammation. In neutrophils, the small GTPase Rac1 has discrete functions at both the leading edge and in the retraction of the trailing structure at the cell's rear (uropod), but how Rac1 is regulated at the uropod is unkno
Evaluation of anticancer activity of α-defensins purified from neutrophils trapped in leukoreduction filters.
Ferdowsi S, Pourfathollah AA, Amiri F, Rafiee MH, Aghaei A.
Life sciences. 2019 May;224()249-254.
The α-defensins or human neutrophil peptides (HNP 1-3) that exist in azurophilic granules are found to have anticancer activity. The pattern of disulfide bonds in α-defensins is crucial for the functional properties. Therefore, synthesis using the chemical and recombinant approaches is a challengi
In saliva, neutrophil constitutes the most prominent first-line defense of immune cells against pathogenic microbes. The importance of neutrophils to the host immune systems of neutropenic or patients disabled with regard to their neutrophil function results in a tendency toward serious infections,
… Monocyte had round to kidney-shaped nucleus with fine chromatin-mesh and the monocyte major granule (MMG) in the cytoplasm. … Eosinophil had round to lobule-shaped nucleus and three types of granules, eosinophilic granule (EG), basophilic granule (BG) and azurophilicgranule (AG) in the cytoplasm. …
Binita Shah, ... Michael H. Pillinger, in Kelley and Firestein's Textbook of Rheumatology (Tenth Edition), 2017 Secondary Granules In contrast to primary or azurophilic granules, neutrophil secondary granules constitute a population ...
azurophilic granule A large, coarse, blue-purple membrane-bound organelle in progranulocytes, myelocytes and neutrophils, which acts as a reservoir for digestive ... A small red or reddish-purple granule that easily takes a stain with ...
Xin Tao, Anlong Xu, in Amphioxus Immunity, 2016 2.2.1.3 NK cells NK cells are typically large azurophilic granules containing lymphocytes and are known for their excellent ability to kill certain tumor cells. They constitute 5% to 10% ...