Phagocytosis articles from across Nature Portfolio

Sec22b controls phagosome maturation by tethering ER-phagosome membrane contact sites independently of the tether STIM1.

Efficient removal of apoptotic cells by phagocytosis underlies tissue development, wound repair, host defense and organ homeostasis. Here, authors identify TRPM7 as a regulator of cargo acidification and Ca2+ signaling during apoptotic cell clearance.

Dectin-1 is a critical component of the innate sensing repertoire which is involved in pattern based recognition of fungal pathogens. Here the authors show that intramembrane proteolysis is involved in the regulation of the antifungal host response by termination of the phagosomal signalling of Dectin-1.

Salmonella secretes the effector protein SopD into the host cell cytoplasm, leading to scission of the plasma membrane through unclear mechanisms. Here, Boddy et al. show that SopD binds to and inhibits the small GTPase Rab10, thus promoting removal of Rab10 and recruitment of dynamin-2 to drive plasma membrane scission.

LC3-associated phagocytosis (LAP) is a non-canonical use of the autophagy machinery that can contribute to immune responses. Here, the authors describe the mechanism by which ROS production regulates LAPosome stabilization sustaining MHC II dependent antigen presentation.

Calcium flux must be carefully controlled during the phagocytosis of apoptotic cells (efferocytosis), although how this occurs is not fully understood. Here, the authors show that the Cereblon E3 ligase regulates Orai1 degradation and subsequently SOCE-mediated calcium influx.

Hoijman et al. show that in early vertebrate development, engulfment of apoptotic cells is mediated by epithelial cells covering the embryo, which use specialized protrusions to distribute apoptotic bodies and support their efficient clearance.

Using ovarian and breast cancer models, Barkal et al. identify CD24 as a novel anti-phagocytic ‘don’t eat me’ signal on tumour-associated macrophages that orchestrates an innate immune checkpoint to modulate antitumour immunity, highlighting the promise of CD24 blockade as an immunotherapy strategy.

Lysosomal calcium signalling links antigen uptake by tissue dendritic cells to migration to the lymph nodes.