Galectin-3 Promotes Muller Glia Clearance Phagocytosis via MERTK and Reduces Harmful Muller Glia Activation in Inherited and Induced Retinal Degeneration.

ABSTRACT: Clearance phagocytosis is a documented function of Müller glia in the retina. However, the molecular mechanisms of Müller glia phagocytosis remain largely undefined. Here, we show that extracellular galectin-3 and protein S promote clearance phagocytosis by immortalized human MIO-M1 Müller cells in an additive, saturable manner. Galectin-3 promotes phagocytosis by primary Müller glia from wild-type (WT) mice but not from mice that lack the engulfment receptor MERTK and therefore develop postnatal photoreceptor degeneration. Probing a possible functional link between Müller galectin-3 and MERTK, we discovered that mertk ^-/- Müller glia in situ show excess galectin-3 at postnatal day 20 (P20), an age prior to detectable photoreceptor degeneration. Moreover, double kn

SUBMITTER: Lew DS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9194531 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature