Neutrophiles: Acid Challenge and Comparison with Acidophiles

When neutrophiles like Escherichia coli are exposed to low pH environments mechanisms are required, within the cell, to alleviate the effects of lowered cytoplasmic pH. They do undergo acid adaptation wherein there is an induction of glutamate decarboxylases, arginine decarboxylases and RpoS-dependent oxidative systems etc. After rapid acid treatment neutrophiles show a change in the expression of three different classes of genes. This review discusses the mechanisms adopted by neutrophiles to be able to survive and grow in the extreme acid conditions and a compares these mechanisms with those that are exclusively present in acidophiles.