Integrins Form an Expanding Diffusional Barrier that Coordinates Phagocytosis.

Phagocytosis is initiated by lateral clustering of receptors, which in turn activates Src-family kinases (SFKs). Activation of SFKs requires depletion of tyrosine phosphatases from the area of particle engagement. We investigated how the major phosphatase CD45 is excluded from contact sites, using single-molecule tracking.

The phosphatidylserine receptor TIM4 utilizes integrins as coreceptors to effect phagocytosis.

T-cell immunoglobulin mucin protein 4 (TIM4), a phosphatidylserine (PtdSer)-binding receptor, mediates the phagocytosis of apoptotic cells. How TIM4 exerts its function is unclear, and conflicting data have emerged. To define the mode of action of TIM4, we used two distinct but complementary approaches: 1) we compared bone marrow-derived macrophages from wild-type and TIM4(-/-) mice, and 2) we heterologously expressed TIM4 in epithelioid AD293 cells, which rendered them competent for engulfment of PtdSer-bearing targets.

Rab7 and Arl8 GTPases are necessary for lysosome tubulation in macrophages.

Lysosomes provide a niche for molecular digestion and are a convergence point for endocytic trafficking, phagosome maturation and autophagy. Typically, lysosomes are small, globular organelles that appear punctate under the fluorescence microscope. However, activating agents like phorbol esters transform macrophage lysosomes into tubular lysosomes (TLs), which have been implicated in retention of pinocytic uptake and phagosome maturation.

Membrane surface charge dictates the structure and function of the epithelial Na+/H+ exchanger.

The Na(+)/H(+) exchanger NHE3 plays a central role in intravascular volume and acid-base homeostasis. Ion exchange activity is conferred by its transmembrane domain, while regulation of the rate of transport by a variety of stimuli is dependent on its cytosolic C-terminal region. Liposome- and cell-based assays employing synthetic or recombinant segments of the cytosolic tail demonstrated preferential association with anionic membranes, which was abrogated by perturbations that interfere with electrostatic interactions.

Na+/H+ exchange and pH regulation in the control of neutrophil chemokinesis and chemotaxis.

Large proton fluxes accompany cell migration, but their precise role remains unclear. We studied pH regulation during the course of chemokinesis and chemotaxis in human neutrophils stimulated by attractant peptides. Activation of cell motility by chemoattractants was accompanied by a marked increase in metabolic acid generation, attributable to energy consumption by the contractile machinery and to stimulation of the NADPH oxidase and the ancillary hexose monophosphate shunt.

Rho GTPases dictate the mobility of the Na/H exchanger NHE3 in epithelia: role in apical retention and targeting.

Proximal tubular reabsorption of filtered sodium by the sodium/hydrogen exchanger isoform 3 (NHE3), located on the apical membrane, is fundamental to the maintenance of systemic volume and pH homeostasis. NHE3 is finely regulated by a variety of hormones and by changes in ionic composition and volume, likely requiring redistribution of the exchangers. We analyzed the subcellular distribution and dynamics of the exchangers by generating an epithelial line expressing NHE3 tagged with an exofacial epitope, which enabled us to monitor exchanger mobility and traffic in intact cells.

Molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying iron transport deficiency in microcytic anemia.

A mutation of the iron transporter Nramp2 (DMT1, Slc11a2) causes microcytic anemia in mk mice and in Belgrade rats by impairing iron absorption in the duodenum and in erythroid cells, causing severe iron deficiency. Both mk and Belgrade animals display a glycine-to-arginine substitution at position 185 (G185R) in the fourth predicted transmembrane domain of Nramp2. To study the molecular basis for the loss of function of Nramp2(G185R), we established cell lines stably expressing extracellularly tagged versions of wild-type (WT) or mutated transporters.

Inhibition and redistribution of NHE3, the apical Na+/H+ exchanger, by Clostridium difficile toxin B.

NHE3, the apical isoform of the Na(+)/H(+) exchanger, is central to the absorption of salt and water across the intestinal epithelium. We report that treatment of epithelial cells with toxin B of Clostridium difficile, a diarrheal pathogen, causes a pronounced inhibition of NHE3 activity, with little effect on the basolateral NHE1 isoform. Depression of NHE3 activity is accompanied by the translocation of apical exchangers to a subapical endomembrane compartment.

Activation of store-operated calcium channels: assessment of the role of snare-mediated vesicular transport.

Store-operated calcium channels (SOC) play a central role in cellular calcium homeostasis. Although it is well established that SOC are activated by depletion of the endoplasmic reticulum calcium stores, the molecular mechanism underlying this effect remains ill defined. It has been suggested that SOC activation requires fusion of endomembrane vesicles with the plasmalemma.

Dynamic traffic through the recycling compartment couples the metal transporter Nramp2 (DMT1) with the transferrin receptor.

Nramp2 (natural resistance-associated macrophage protein 2, also called DMT1 and Slc11a2) is a proton-dependent cation transporter, which plays a central role in iron homeostasis. To study the subcellular distribution and dynamics of the transporter, we generated a construct encoding the long splice variant of Nramp2 (isoform II) tagged with the hemagglutinin epitope on a predicted extracellular loop. Cells stably transfected with this construct revealed the presence of Nramp2 in both the plasma membrane and in an endomembrane compartment.

Differential role of actin, clathrin, and dynamin in Fc gamma receptor-mediated endocytosis and phagocytosis.

Clustering of macrophage Fc gamma receptors by multimeric immunoglobulin complexes leads to their internalization. Formation of small aggregates leads to endocytosis, whereas large particulate complexes induce phagocytosis. In RAW-264.

Fc gamma R-mediated phagocytosis stimulates localized pinocytosis in human neutrophils.

Engulfment of IgG-coated particles by neutrophils and macrophages is an essential component of the innate immune response. This process, known as phagocytosis, is triggered by clustering of FcgammaR at sites where leukocytes make contact with the opsonized particles. We found that phagocytosis is accompanied by a burst of fluid phase pinocytosis, which is largely restricted to the immediate vicinity of the phagosomal cup.

Localized exocytosis of primary (lysosomal) granules during phagocytosis: role of Ca2+-dependent tyrosine phosphorylation and microtubules.

The uptake and killing of bacteria by human neutrophils are dependent on the fusion of secretory granules with forming phagosomes. The earliest component of exocytosis was found to precede phagosome closure, so that granular membrane constituents were detectable on the plasmalemma. We show that during phagocytosis of IgG-opsonized particles, this early secretory response is highly polarized in the case of primary granules, but less so for specific granules.

Nramp1 modifies the fusion of Salmonella typhimurium-containing vacuoles with cellular endomembranes in macrophages.

Salmonella survive and replicate within mammalian cells by becoming secluded within specialized membrane-bound vacuoles inaccessible to the host defense mechanisms. Delayed acidification of the vacuole and its incomplete fusion with lysosomes have been implicated in intracellular Salmonella survival. Nramp1 confers to macrophages resistance to a variety of intracellular pathogens, including Salmonella, but its precise mode of action is not understood.