The Role of NADPH Oxidase 2 in Leukocytes

NADPH oxidase (NOX) family members are major resources of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). In the immune system, ROS derived from phagocytic NOX (NOX2) participate in both pathogen clearance and signaling transduction. The role of NOX2 in neutrophils and macrophages has been well studied as mutations in NOX2 subunits cause chronic granulomas disease (CGD). NOX2 is expressed across a wide range of immune cells and recent reports have demonstrated that NOX2-derived ROS play important roles in other immune cells during an immune response. In this review, we summarize current knowledge of functions of NADPH oxidase 2 in each subset of leukocytes, as well as associations of NOX2 deficiency with diseases associated specifically with autoimmunity and immune deficiency. We also discuss important knowledge gaps as well as potential future directions for NOX2 research.