scholarly journals P115 RhoGEF and microtubules decide the direction apoptotic cells extrude from an epithelium

2009 ◽  
Vol 186 (5) ◽  
pp. 693-702 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gloria Slattum ◽  
Karen M. McGee ◽  
Jody Rosenblatt

To preserve epithelial barrier function, dying cells are squeezed out of an epithelium by “apoptotic cell extrusion.” Specifically, a cell destined for apoptosis signals its live neighboring epithelial cells to form and contract a ring of actin and myosin II that squeezes the dying cell out of the epithelial sheet. Although most apoptotic cells extrude apically, we find that some exit basally. Localization of actin and myosin IIA contraction dictates the extrusion direction: basal extrusion requires circumferential contraction of neighboring cells at their apices, whereas apical extrusion also requires downward contraction along the basolateral surfaces. To activate actin/myosin basolaterally, microtubules in neighboring cells reorient and target p115 RhoGEF to this site. Preventing microtubule reorientation restricts contraction to the apex, driving extrusion basally. Extrusion polarity has important implications for tumors where apoptosis is blocked but extrusion is not, as basal extrusion could enable these cells to initiate metastasis.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergio M. Pontejo ◽  
Philip M. Murphy

AbstractChemokines are positively charged cytokines that attract leukocytes by binding to anionic glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) on endothelial cells for efficient presentation to leukocyte G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). The atypical chemokine CXCL16 has been reported to also bind the anionic phospholipid phosphatidylserine (PS), but the biological relevance of this interaction remains poorly understood. Here we demonstrate that PS binding is in fact a widely shared property of chemokine superfamily members that, like GAG binding, induces chemokine oligomerization. PS is an essential phospholipid of the inner leaflet of the healthy cell plasma membrane but it is exposed in apoptotic cells to act as an ‘eat-me’ signal that promotes engulfment of dying cells by phagocytes. We found that chemokines can bind PS in pure form as well as in the context of liposomes and on the surface of apoptotic cells and extracellular vesicles released by apoptotic cells, which are known to act as ‘find-me’ signals that chemoattract phagocytes during apoptotic cell clearance. Importantly, we show that GAGs are severely depleted from the surface of apoptotic cells and that extracellular vesicles extracted from apoptotic mouse thymus bind endogenous thymic chemokines and activate cognate chemokine receptors. Together these results indicate that chemokines tethered to surface-exposed PS may be responsible for the chemotactic and find-me signal activity previously attributed to extracellular vesicles, and that PS may substitute for GAGs as the anionic scaffold that regulates chemokine oligomerization and presentation to GPCRs on the GAG-deficient membranes of apoptotic cells and extracellular vesicles. Here, we present a new mechanism by which extracellular vesicles, currently recognized as essential agents for intercellular communication in homeostasis and disease, can transport signaling cytokines.


2011 ◽  
Vol 193 (4) ◽  
pp. 667-676 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yapeng Gu ◽  
Tetyana Forostyan ◽  
Roger Sabbadini ◽  
Jody Rosenblatt

To maintain an intact barrier, epithelia eliminate dying cells by extrusion. During extrusion, a cell destined for apoptosis signals its neighboring cells to form and contract a ring of actin and myosin, which squeezes the dying cell out of the epithelium. Here, we demonstrate that the signal produced by dying cells to initiate this process is sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P). Decreasing S1P synthesis by inhibiting sphingosine kinase activity or by blocking extracellular S1P access to its receptor prevented apoptotic cell extrusion. Extracellular S1P activates extrusion by binding the S1P2 receptor in the cells neighboring a dying cell, as S1P2 knockdown in these cells or its loss in a zebrafish mutant disrupted cell extrusion. Because live cells can also be extruded, we predict that this S1P pathway may also be important for driving delamination of stem cells during differentiation or invasion of cancer cells.


2010 ◽  
Vol 207 (9) ◽  
pp. 1807-1817 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kodi S. Ravichandran

Everyday we turnover billions of cells. The quick, efficient, and immunologically silent disposal of the dying cells requires a coordinated orchestration of multiple steps, through which phagocytes selectively recognize and engulf apoptotic cells. Recent studies have suggested an important role for soluble mediators released by apoptotic cells that attract phagocytes (“find-me” signals). New information has also emerged on multiple receptors that can recognize phosphatidylserine, the key “eat-me” signal exposed on the surface of apoptotic cells. This perspective discusses recent exciting progress, gaps in our understanding, and the conflicting issues that arise from the newly acquired knowledge.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Jäger ◽  
Howard O. Fearnhead

After more than twenty years of research, the molecular events of apoptotic cell death can be succinctly stated; different pathways, activated by diverse signals, increase the activity of proteases called caspases that rapidly and irreversibly dismantle condemned cell by cleaving specific substrates. In this time the ideas that apoptosis protects us from tumourigenesis and that cancer chemotherapy works by inducing apoptosis also emerged. Currently, apoptosis research is shifting away from the intracellular events within the dying cell to focus on the effect of apoptotic cells on surrounding tissues. This is producing counterintuitive data showing that our understanding of the role of apoptosis in tumourigenesis and cancer therapy is too simple, with some interesting and provocative implications. Here, we will consider evidence supporting the idea that dying cells signal their presence to the surrounding tissue and, in doing so, elicit repair and regeneration that compensates for any loss of function caused by cell death. We will discuss evidence suggesting that cancer cell proliferation may be driven by inappropriate or corrupted tissue-repair programmes that are initiated by signals from apoptotic cells and show how this may dramatically modify how we view the role of apoptosis in both tumourigenesis and cancer therapy.


2009 ◽  
Vol 297 (4) ◽  
pp. L586-L595 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valeria M. Borges ◽  
R. William Vandivier ◽  
Kathleen A. McPhillips ◽  
Jennifer A. Kench ◽  
Konosuke Morimoto ◽  
...  

Efficient removal of apoptotic cells is essential for resolution of inflammation. Failure to clear dying cells can exacerbate lung injury and lead to persistent inflammation and autoimmunity. Here we show that TNFα blocks apoptotic cell clearance by alveolar macrophages and leads to proinflammatory responses in the lung. Compared with mice treated with intratracheal TNFα or exogenous apoptotic cells, mice treated with the combination of TNFα plus apoptotic cells demonstrated reduced apoptotic cell clearance from the lungs and increased recruitment of inflammatory leukocytes to the air spaces. Treatment with intratracheal TNFα had no effect on the removal of exogenous apoptotic cells from the lungs of TNFα receptor-1 (p55) and -2 (p75) double mutant mice and no effect on leukocyte recruitment. Bronchoalveolar lavage from mice treated with TNFα plus apoptotic cells contained increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines IL-6, KC, and MCP-1, but exhibited no change in levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-10 and TGF-β. Administration of TNFα plus apoptotic cells during LPS-induced lung injury augmented neutrophil accumulation and proinflammatory cytokine production. These findings suggest that the presence of TNFα in the lung can alter the response of phagocytes to apoptotic cells leading to inflammatory cell recruitment and proinflammatory mediator production.


2001 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 919-930 ◽  
Author(s):  
Regina E. Cocco ◽  
David S. Ucker

The distinction between physiological (apoptotic) and pathological (necrotic) cell deaths reflects mechanistic differences in cellular disintegration and is of functional significance with respect to the outcomes that are triggered by the cell corpses. Mechanistically, apoptotic cells die via an active and ordered pathway; necrotic deaths, conversely, are chaotic and passive. Macrophages and other phagocytic cells recognize and engulf these dead cells. This clearance is believed to reveal an innate immunity, associated with inflammation in cases of pathological but not physiological cell deaths. Using objective and quantitative measures to assess these processes, we find that macrophages bind and engulf native apoptotic and necrotic cells to similar extents and with similar kinetics. However, recognition of these two classes of dying cells occurs via distinct and noncompeting mechanisms. Phosphatidylserine, which is externalized on both apoptotic and necrotic cells, is not a specific ligand for the recognition of either one. The distinct modes of recognition for these different corpses are linked to opposing responses from engulfing macrophages. Necrotic cells, when recognized, enhance proinflammatory responses of activated macrophages, although they are not sufficient to trigger macrophage activation. In marked contrast, apoptotic cells profoundly inhibit phlogistic macrophage responses; this represents a cell-associated, dominant-acting anti-inflammatory signaling activity acquired posttranslationally during the process of physiological cell death.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florian J. Bock ◽  
Catherine Cloix ◽  
Desiree Zerbst ◽  
Stephen W.G. Tait

AbstractDamaged or superfluous cells are often eliminated by apoptosis. Although a cell-autonomous process, apoptotic cells communicate with their environment in different ways. However, the extent to which apoptotic cells alerting their neighbours to potential danger is unclear. Addressing this question, here we describe a mechanism whereby dying cells can promote survival of neighbouring cells. We find that during apoptosis, cells release the growth factor FGF2, leading to MEK/ERK-dependent transcriptional upregulation of pro-survival BCL-2 proteins in a non-cell autonomous manner. This transient upregulation of prosurvival BCL-2 proteins in turn can protect neighbouring cells from apoptosis. Accordingly, we find in certain cancer types a correlation between FGF-signalling, BCL-2 expression and worse prognosis. Importantly, either co-treatment with FGF-receptor inhibitors or removal of apoptotic stress restores apoptotic sensitivity. These data reveal a pathway by which dying cells can increase resistance to cell death in surrounding cells. Beyond mediating cytotoxic drug resistance, this process may serve additional roles, for instance limiting tissue damage in response to stress.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jack W.D. Blackburn ◽  
Darius H.C. Lau ◽  
Jessica Ellins ◽  
Angela Kipp ◽  
Emily N. Pawlak ◽  
...  

AbstractEfferocytosis – the phagocytic removal of apoptotic cells – is essential for the maintenance of homeostasis and prevention of the inflammatory and autoimmune diseases which can follow the lysis of uncleared apoptotic cells. CD93 is a transmembrane glycoprotein previously implicated in efferocytosis and angiogenesis, and upon mutation, results in the onset of efferocytosis-associated diseases such as atherosclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. CD93 is produced as a cell surface protein which is shed as soluble CD93, but it is unknown how CD93 mediates efferocytosis or whether its efferocytic activity is mediated by the soluble or membrane-bound form. Herein, we demonstrate that the membrane bound form of CD93 has no phagocytic, efferocytic, or tethering activity, whereas soluble CD93 potently opsonizes apoptotic cells but not a broad range of Gram-Negative, Gram-Positive or fungal microorganisms. Using mass spectrometry, we identified the αxβ2 integrin as the receptor required for soluble CD93-mediated efferocytosis, and via deletion mutagenesis determined that soluble CD93 binds to apoptotic cells via its C-Type Lectin-Like domain, and to αxβ2 by its EGF-like repeats. This bridging of apoptotic cells to the αxβ2 integrin markedly enhanced efferocytosis by macrophages, and could be abrogated by knockdown of αxβ2 integrin. Combined, these data elucidate the mechanism by which CD93 regulates efferocytosis and identify a previously unreported opsonin-receptor system utilized by the immune system for the efferocytic clearance of apoptotic cells.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minnah Thomas ◽  
Benoit Ladoux ◽  
Yusuke Toyama

SUMMARYThe mechanical coupling of epithelia enables coordination of tissue functions and collective tissue movements during different developmental and physiological processes. This coupling is ensured by cell-cell junctions, including adherens junctions (AJs) and desmosomal junctions (DJs) [1, 2]. During apoptosis, or programmed cell death, a dead cell is expelled from the tissue by coordinated processes between the dying cell and its neighbors. Apoptotic cell extrusion is driven by actomyosin cable formation and its contraction, and lamellipodial crawling of the neighboring cells (Fig. S1A-A’’, Movie S1) [3–6]. Throughout cell extrusion, the mechanical coupling of epithelia needs to be maintained in order to preserve tissue homeostasis [3]. Although much is known about the regulation of AJs in apoptotic cell extrusion [6–9], the role and dynamics of DJs during this process remains poorly understood. Here, we show that DJs stay intact throughout and are crucial for apoptotic cell extrusion. Pre-existing DJs between the apoptotic cell and neighboring non-dying cells remain intact even during the formation of de novo DJs between non-dying cells, suggesting that the neighboring cells possess two DJs in the middle of apoptotic cell extrusion. We further found that an actomyosin cable formed in the vicinity of DJs upon apoptosis, and subsequently deviated from DJs during its constriction. Interestingly, the departure of the actomyosin cable from DJs coincided with the timing when DJs lost their straightness, suggesting a release of junctional tension at DJs, and a mechanical coupling between DJs and actomyosin contractility. The depletion of desmoplakin, which links desmosomes and intermediate filaments, resulted in defective apical contraction and an inability to form de novo DJs, leading to a failure of apoptotic cell extrusion. Our study provides a framework to explain how desmosomes play pivotal roles in maintaining epithelial sheet integrity during apoptotic cell extrusion.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachary I. Blume ◽  
Jared M. Lambert ◽  
Anna G. Lovel ◽  
Diana M. Mitchell

AbstractBackgroundMicroglia colonize the developing vertebrate central nervous system coincident with detection of developmental apoptosis. Our understanding of apoptosis in intact tissue in relation to microglial clearance of dying cells is largely based on fixed samples, which is limiting given that microglia are highly motile and mobile phagocytes. Here, we used a system of microglial depletion and in vivo real-time imaging in zebrafish to directly address microglial phagocytosis of apoptotic cells during normal retinal development, the relative timing of phagocytosis in relation to apoptotic progression, and the contribution of P2RY12 signaling to this process.ResultsDepletion of microglia resulted in accumulation of numerous apoptotic cells in the retina. Real-time imaging revealed precise timing of microglial engulfment with the progression of apoptosis, and dynamic movement and displacement of engulfed apoptotic cells. Inhibition of P2RY12 signaling delayed microglial clearance of apoptotic cells.ConclusionsMicroglial engulfment of dying cells is coincident with apoptotic progression and requires P2RY12 signaling, indicating that microglial P2RY12 signaling is shared between development and injury response. Our work provides important in vivo insight into the dynamics of apoptotic cell clearance in the developing vertebrate retina and provides a basis to understand microglial phagocytic behavior in health and disease.Bullet PointsLevels and location of developmental apoptosis in the zebrafish retina are elusive due to rapid and efficient clearance by microgliaMicroglial clearance of apoptotic cells is timed with the progression of apoptosis of the engulfed cell so that many cells are cleared in relatively early apoptotic stagesP2RY12 signaling is involved in microglial sensing and clearance of cells undergoing normal developmental apoptosis, indicating shared signals in microglial responses to cell death in both healthy and injured tissueGrant SponsorsNIH NIGMS Grant No. P20 GM103408


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