PUBLICATION

Vertebrate epidermal cells are broad-specificity phagocytes that clear sensory axon debris

Authors
Rasmussen, J.P., Sack, G.S., Martin, S.M., Sagasti, A.
ID
ZDB-PUB-150116-5
Date
2015
Source
The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience   35: 559-70 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Sagasti, Alvaro
Keywords
Wallerian degeneration, axon, phagocytosis, skin, somatosensory, zebrafish
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Axons/pathology*
  • Epidermis/cytology
  • Epidermis/physiology*
  • Epithelial Cells/metabolism
  • Epithelial Cells/physiology*
  • Phagocytes/metabolism
  • Phagocytes/physiology*
  • Phagocytosis
  • Phagosomes/metabolism
  • Phosphatidylinositol Phosphates/metabolism
  • Sensory Receptor Cells/pathology
  • Wallerian Degeneration*
  • Zebrafish
PubMed
25589751 Full text @ J. Neurosci.
Abstract
Cellular debris created by developmental processes or injury must be cleared by phagocytic cells to maintain and repair tissues. Cutaneous injuries damage not only epidermal cells but also the axonal endings of somatosensory (touch-sensing) neurons, which must be repaired to restore the sensory function of the skin. Phagocytosis of neuronal debris is usually performed by macrophages or other blood-derived professional phagocytes, but we have found that epidermal cells phagocytose somatosensory axon debris in zebrafish. Live imaging revealed that epidermal cells rapidly internalize debris into dynamic phosphatidylinositol 3-monophosphate-positive phagosomes that mature into phagolysosomes using a pathway similar to that of professional phagocytes. Epidermal cells phagocytosed not only somatosensory axon debris but also debris created by injury to other peripheral axons that were mislocalized to the skin, neighboring skin cells, and macrophages. Together, these results identify vertebrate epidermal cells as broad-specificity phagocytes that likely contribute to neural repair and wound healing.
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