Context-dependent compensation among phosphatidylserine-recognition receptors.

ABSTRACT: Phagocytes express multiple phosphatidylserine (PtdSer) receptors that recognize apoptotic cells. It is unknown whether these receptors are interchangeable or if they play unique roles during cell clearance. Loss of the PtdSer receptor Mertk is associated with apoptotic corpse accumulation in the testes and degeneration of photoreceptors in the eye. Both phenotypes are linked to impaired phagocytosis by specialized phagocytes: Sertoli cells and the retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE). Here, we overexpressed the PtdSer receptor BAI1 in mice lacking MerTK (Mertk ^-/- Bai1 ^Tg ) to evaluate PtdSer receptor compensation in vivo. While Bai1 overexpression rescues clearance of apoptotic germ cells in the testes of Mertk ^-/- mice it fails to enhance RPE phagocytosis

SUBMITTER: Penberthy KK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5676788 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature