HUMAN PERIPHERAL EOSINOPHILS HAVE A SPECIFIC MECHANISM TO EXPRESS GP91-PHOX, THE LARGE SUBUNIT OF CYTOCHROME B(558)

Eosinophils as well as neutrophils, monocytes and B lymphocytes are no ted for lacking normal cytochrome b(558) in patients with X-linked chr onic granulomatous disease. The eosinophils of an X-linked male patien t, however, fully expressed surface cytochrome b(558), generated super oxide anion to a normal extent and definitely expressed the large subu nit of cytochrome b(558) (gp91-phox). His mononuclear leukocytes conta ined a diminished amount of gp91-phox mRNA with normal coding sequence s. All the coding sequences and a putative poly (A) signal of his gp91 -phox gene were normal. These results indicate that eosinophils have a specific mechanism to express gp91-phox and suggest that the mechanis m lies at the transcriptional step of the gene. (C) 1995 Academic Pres s, Inc.