Specific granule
Specific granules are secretory vesicles found exclusively in cells of the immune system called granulocytes.
It is sometimes described as applying specifically to neutrophils,[1] and sometimes the term is applied to other types of cells.[2]
These granules store a mixture of cytotoxic molecules, including many enzymes and antimicrobial peptides, that are released by a process called degranulation following activation of the granulocyte by an immune stimulus.
Specific granules are also known as "secondary granules".[3]
Contents
Examples of cytotoxic molecule stored by specific granules in different granulocytes include:
- Neutrophil: alkaline phosphatase, lactoferrin, lysozyme, NADPH oxidase
- Eosinophil: cathepsin, major basic protein
- Basophil: heparin, histamine (not directly cytotoxic)
Clinical significance
A specific granule deficiency can be associated with CEBPE.[4]
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