Zebrafish cutaneous injury models reveal that Langerhans cells engulf axonal debris in adult epidermis.

ABSTRACT: Somatosensory neurons extend enormous peripheral axons to the skin, where they detect diverse environmental stimuli. Somatosensory peripheral axons are easily damaged due to their small caliber and superficial location. Axonal damage results in Wallerian degeneration, creating vast quantities of cellular debris that phagocytes must remove to maintain organ homeostasis. The cellular mechanisms that ensure efficient clearance of axon debris from stratified adult skin are unknown. Here, we established zebrafish scales as a tractable model to study axon degeneration in the adult epidermis. Using this system, we demonstrated that skin-resident immune cells known as Langerhans cells engulf the majority of axon debris. In contrast to immature skin, adult keratinocytes did not significantly contri

SUBMITTER: Peterman E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10110399 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature