Abstract
Expression of the aminophospholipid phosphatidylserine (PS) on the surface of apoptotic lymphocytes and lipid-symmetric erythrocytes triggers their phagocytosis by macrophages. Phagocytosis by both activated and unactivated macrophages, which utilize different recognition systems, can be blocked by certain monoclonal antibodies directed against the LPS receptor, CD14. Here we investigate the requirement for CD14 in the phagocytosis of both apoptotic thymocytes and lipid-symmetric erythrocytes by both activated and unactivated macrophages. We show that phagocytosis of lipid-symmetric erythrocytes by both activated and unactivated macrophages is completely abolished when CD14 is removed from macrophages by cleaving its glycosylphosphatidylinositol tether with phospholipase C. This treatment also substantially reduces phagocytosis of apoptotic lymphocytes by both types of macrophages. Unactivated LR-9 mouse macrophages which are deficient in CD14 expression are completely unable to phagocytose either apoptotic thymocytes or lipid-symmetric erythrocytes. These results argue that CD14 is an absolute requirement for the phagocytosis of lipid-symmetric erythrocytes by both activated and unactivated macrophages, despite their different recognition systems, that CD14 contributes at least substantially to the phagocytosis of apoptotic lymphocytes by both activated and unactivated macrophages, and that activated macrophages may also possess an alternate, CD14-independent mechanism for phagocytosis of apoptotic lymphocytes.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Edited by: B. Osborne
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Schlegel, R., Krahling, S., Callahan, M. et al. CD14 is a component of multiple recognition systems used by macrophages to phagocytose apoptotic lymphocytes. Cell Death Differ 6, 583–592 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.cdd.4400529
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.cdd.4400529
Keywords
This article is cited by
-
Exposure of a specific pleioform of multifunctional glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase initiates CD14-dependent clearance of apoptotic cells
Cell Death & Disease (2021)
-
Antibody Cross-Linking of CD14 Activates MerTK and Promotes Human Macrophage Clearance of Apoptotic Neutrophils: the Dual Role of CD14 at the Crossroads Between M1 and M2c Polarization
Inflammation (2018)
-
Transcription analysis on response of porcine alveolar macrophages to Haemophilus parasuis
BMC Genomics (2012)
-
High resolution preparation of monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) protein fractions for clinical proteomics
Proteome Science (2009)
-
Neutrophil apoptosis and the resolution of infection
Immunologic Research (2009)