The researchers have revealed for the first time how white blood cells control the final moments of their death, helping their own removal from the human body. They have identified a protein called Plexin B2 within dying cells that is responsible for coordinating a key stage of apoptosis (cell death).
Published in Cell Reports, the study is a significant step forward in understanding what may trigger numerous disease states such as inflammation and autoimmunity.
Lead researcher said the key function of Plexin B2 was discovered when they used CRISPR gene-editing technology to delete the protein from white blood cells. The authors find that the protein plexin B2 (PlexB2), a transmembrane receptor that regulates axonal guidance in neurons, is enriched in the ApoBDs of THP1 monocytes and is a caspase 3/7 substrate.
"Normally, dying white blood cells undergo a dynamic death and shoot out long, beaded, necklace-like structures and fragment into small pieces," the author said. "However, since our discovery of this process in 2015, we have not understood how or why this dance of death occurs.
"Our new research identified the protein Plexin B2 as the first molecule which controls this event."The author said genetically deleting Plexin B2 prevented dying cells from forming beaded structures. "Surprisingly, this defect in the cell death process significantly compromised their removal by the garbage trucks of the body, known as phagocytes," the author said.
"Typically, dying cells send 'find me' and 'eat me' signals to phagocytes, however, deletion of Plexin B2 could limit the number of fragments that are 'ready-to-eat'."
This study follows research - published in June 2019 in Cell Death and Differentiation - from the author, which also demonstrated the importance of dying cell fragmentation, through a process called blebbing, to aid in the efficient removal of cells by phagocytes.
"Excitingly, the next phase of our research is to take our key basic biology discoveries and examine them in pre-clinical models of autoimmunity," the author said.
https://www.latrobe.edu.au/news/articles/2019/release/cells-control-their-dance-of-death
https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(19)31314-2
http://sciencemission.com/site/index.php?page=news&type=view&id=publications%2Fplexin-b2-is-a_2&filter=22
Regulator of apoptotic cell death identified!
- 1,103 views
- Added
Edited
Latest News
Hyperactive platelets from…
By newseditor
Posted 19 May
Chromatin and RNA interacti…
By newseditor
Posted 18 May
Why patients with ARID1A mu…
By newseditor
Posted 18 May
Smuggling small molecule mo…
By newseditor
Posted 18 May
Men with gene mutations are…
By newseditor
Posted 17 May
Other Top Stories
Social hormone promotes cooperation in risky situations
Read more
Blocking stress protein relieves chronic pain in mice
Read more
Loneliness neurons in brain identified!
Read more
Origins of 'rage' identified in brain in male animal model
Read more
Why smiles (and frowns) are contagious
Read more
Protocols
Breast cancer-on-chip for p…
By newseditor
Posted 16 May
Methods for making and obse…
By newseditor
Posted 15 May
Mime-seq 2.0: a method to s…
By newseditor
Posted 13 May
Improved detection of DNA r…
By newseditor
Posted 09 May
Single-cell adhesive profil…
By newseditor
Posted 07 May
Publications
An age-progressive platelet…
By newseditor
Posted 19 May
Immunotherapy for colorecta…
By newseditor
Posted 18 May
Single-cell multiplex chrom…
By newseditor
Posted 18 May
Autophagy preferentially de…
By newseditor
Posted 18 May
Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, and…
By newseditor
Posted 18 May
Presentations
Hydrogels in Drug Delivery
By newseditor
Posted 12 Apr
Lipids
By newseditor
Posted 31 Dec
Cell biology of carbohydrat…
By newseditor
Posted 29 Nov
RNA interference (RNAi)
By newseditor
Posted 23 Oct
RNA structure and functions
By newseditor
Posted 19 Oct
Posters
A chemical biology/modular…
By newseditor
Posted 22 Aug
Single-molecule covalent ma…
By newseditor
Posted 04 Jul
ASCO-2020-HEALTH SERVICES R…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar
ASCO-2020-HEAD AND NECK CANCER
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar
ASCO-2020-GENITOURINARY CAN…
By newseditor
Posted 23 Mar