Polyploidy promotes transformation of epithelial cells into nonprofessional phagocytes.

ABSTRACT: Removal of dead and damaged cells is critical for organismal health. Under stress conditions such as nutritional deprivation, infection, or temperature shift, the clearance of nonessential cells becomes a universal strategy to conserve energy and maintain tissue homeostasis. Typically, this task is performed by professional phagocytes such as macrophages. However, nonprofessional phagocytes (NPPs) can also adopt a phagocytic fate under specific circumstances. Similar to professional phagocytes, NPPs undergo transitions from immature to mature states and activation, but the precise cellular and molecular mechanisms governing their maturation, induction, and phagocytic execution remain largely unknown. A notable example of stress-induced phagocytosis is the removal of germline cells by folli

SUBMITTER: Huang YC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12318187 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature