@article{mbs:/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-134-1-29, author = "Simpson, Jeremy A. and Smith, Susan E. and Dean, Roger T.", title = "Alginate Inhibition of the Uptake of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by Macrophages", journal= "Microbiology", year = "1988", volume = "134", number = "1", pages = "29-36", doi = "https://doi.org/10.1099/00221287-134-1-29", url = "https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-134-1-29", publisher = "Microbiology Society", issn = "1465-2080", type = "Journal Article", abstract = " Pseudomonas aeruginosa alginate was purified and characterized in terms of uronic acid, carbohydrate and protein content, as well as by infra-red spectroscopy and gel electrophoresis. Added exogenous bacterial alginate inhibited the uptake and degradation of both viable and non-viable radiolabelled non-mucoid P. aeruginosa by resident mouse peritoneal macrophages. Alginic acid (from seaweed) inhibited the same parameters to almost the same degree. Bacterial alginate also inhibited the uptake of fluorescent-labelled zymosan and latex particles. Starch, at equivalent viscosity to the alginate, inhibited the uptake and degradation of radiolabelled nonviable P. aeruginosa to a greater extent, but Dextran T500 had no effect. This suggests that the viscous nature of alginate exerts a non-specific inhibitory effect on the uptake and subsequent degradation of phagocytosible particles.", }