Molecular mechanism of the engulfment and degradation of dead cells by macrophages

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 22000013
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Specially Promoted Research
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Review Section: Biological Sciences
• Research Institution: Osaka University (2015); Kyoto University (2010-2014)
• Principal Investigator: NAGATA Shigekazu 大阪大学, 免疫学フロンティア研究センター, 寄附研究部門教授 (70114428)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): SUZUKI Jun 大阪大学, 免疫学フロンティア研究センター, 寄附研究部門准教授 (30511894) ; SEGAWA Katsumori 大阪大学, 免疫学フロンティア研究センター, 寄附研究部門助教 (20542971) ; FUJII Toshihiro 大阪大学, 免疫学フロンティア研究センター, 寄附研究部門助教 (30580104) ; HANAYAMA Rikinari 金沢大学, 医学系, 教授 (40403191)
• Project Period (FY): 2010 – 2015
• Keywords: アポトーシス / 自然免疫 / リン脂質 / マクロファージ / 貪食 / フォスファチジルセリン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Phospholipids at plasma membranes are asymmetrically distributed between inner and outer leaflets by the action of a flippase(s). This asymmetrical distribution is disrupted by the action of a scramblase(s) in various biological processes. In this project, we identified two P4-type ATPases (ATP11A and ATP11C) as flippases, five TMEM16 family members (16C、16D, 16F, 16G and 16J) as Ca^<2+>-dependent scramblase, and three XKR family members (XKR4, XKR8 and XKR9) as caspase-dependent scramblase. We also showed that the engulfment of apoptotic cells proceeds in two steps of tethering and internalization.

Free Research Field

医歯薬学