Size-dependent segregation controls macrophage phagocytosis of antibody-opsonized targets
Posted on: 7 February 2018 , updated on: 15 May 2018
Preprint posted on 19 January 2018
Article now published in Cell at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2018.05.059
Macrophages distinguish nanoscale distance between an antigen and its surface via physical exclusion of CD45
Selected by Tim FessendenCategories: cell biology, immunology
Context
Cell biologists have seen fit to describe many cell behaviors without recourse to the precise protein interactions through which they occur. A frustrating gap in understanding persists between established activities of individual proteins and cellular functions. Employing tricks of protein engineering, superresolution microscopy, and in vitro assemblies, a growing number of labs are now probing functional assemblies of proteins at this intermediate scale (for a great example, see work on the T-cell receptor by Ron Vale’s lab). Working in these gaps to reach across spatial and temporal scales should be a top priority of cell biology.
Bakalar and colleagues in the Fletcher lab help us in this challenge by asking a very simple question about how macrophages “see” antibody-coated surfaces. They explore whether antibodies that are bound to antigens far from the target surface (~20 nm) are differently treated by macrophages than those near the surface (~5 nm). One might expect this to make no difference whatsoever: macrophages efficiently engulf a huge variety of antibody-bound targets, in which the antigen that serves as the target might be huge, or a tiny protein.
Data
Using natural and engineered proteins to query this simple spatial relationship, Bakalar et al show a surprising bias toward phagocytosis when antigens are close to the target surface. They use an elegant combination of synthetic antigens and TIRF microscopy, and corroborate their findings by modifying a naturally occurring antigen. The authors also make creative use of a cell-free protocol to query protein-protein interactions across apposed plasma membranes, described in their previous publication (Schmid and Bakalar et al).
From a compelling final set of experiments, they conclude that clusters of Fc gamma receptors bound to shorter antigens can physically exclude a negative regulator (CD45) – which is taller – and thus more efficiently activate phagocytosis.
Implications
To this reader’s great satisfaction, observations reported here agree with work from the Cragg lab, who found that antibody-surface distance determined NK cell effector functions in vivo. This work carries interesting implications, as pointed out by the authors, for the success or failure of monoclonal antibody-based therapies, such as trastuzumab or ipilimumab, that are mediated by macrophages, natural killer cells, or other immune cell types. Most importantly, it brings focus and rigor to our thinking about the physical interfaces formed between a cell and its target surface (or another cell). In this regard, the authors cite work by Paszek and colleagues investigating the glycocalyx – the dense brush of glycoproteins covering a cell’s plasma membrane – that can govern the physics of cell-surface interactions.
Questions
- Are long cell surface proteins disfavored by pathogens?
- Does B cell development reflect this spatial skewing of antibody binding sites?
- Do tumor cells expressing longer tumor antigenic proteins escape immune surveillance (as suggested in part by Paszek et al)?
Carbone, C.B., Kern, N., Fernandes, R.A., Hui, E., Su, X., Garcia, K.C., and Vale, R. (2017). In vitro reconstitution of T cell receptor-mediated segregation of the CD45 phosphatase. PNAS 114 (44) E9338- E9345.
Cleary, K.L.S., Chan, H.T.C., James, S., Glennie, M.J., and Cragg, M.S. (2017). Antibody Distance from the Cell Membrane Regulates Antibody Effector Mechanisms. J. Immunol. 1950 198, 3999–4011.
Paszek, M.J., DuFort, C.C., Rossier, O., Bainer, R., Mouw, J.K., Godula, K., Hudak, J.E., Lakins, J.N., Wijekoon, A.C., Cassereau, L., et al. (2014). The cancer glycocalyx mechanically primes integrin- mediated growth and survival. Nature 511, 319–325.
Schmid, E.M., Bakalar, M.H., Choudhuri, K., Weichsel, J., Ann, H.S., Geissler, P.L., Dustin, M.L., and Fletcher, D.A. (2016). Size-dependent protein segregation at membrane interfaces. Nat. Phys.
Read preprint
Sign up to customise the site to your preferences and to receive alerts
Register hereAlso in the cell biology category:
Motor Clustering Enhances Kinesin-driven Vesicle Transport
Sharvari Pitke
Cellular signalling protrusions enable dynamic distant contacts in spinal cord neurogenesis
Ankita Walvekar
Green synthesized silver nanoparticles from Moringa: Potential for preventative treatment of SARS-CoV-2 contaminated water
Safieh Shah, Benjamin Dominik Maier
Also in the immunology category:
Alzheimer’s Disease Patient Brain Extracts Induce Multiple Pathologies in Vascularized Neuroimmune Organoids for Disease Modeling and Drug Discovery
Manuel Lessi
Global coordination of protrusive forces in migrating immune cells
yohalie kalukula
Integrin conformation-dependent neutrophil slowing obstructs the capillaries of the pre-metastatic lung in a model of breast cancer
Simon Cleary
preListscell biology category:
in theBSCB-Biochemical Society 2024 Cell Migration meeting
This preList features preprints that were discussed and presented during the BSCB-Biochemical Society 2024 Cell Migration meeting in Birmingham, UK in April 2024. Kindly put together by Sara Morais da Silva, Reviews Editor at Journal of Cell Science.
List by | Reinier Prosee |
‘In preprints’ from Development 2022-2023
A list of the preprints featured in Development's 'In preprints' articles between 2022-2023
List by | Alex Eve, Katherine Brown |
preLights peer support – preprints of interest
This is a preprint repository to organise the preprints and preLights covered through the 'preLights peer support' initiative.
List by | preLights peer support |
The Society for Developmental Biology 82nd Annual Meeting
This preList is made up of the preprints discussed during the Society for Developmental Biology 82nd Annual Meeting that took place in Chicago in July 2023.
List by | Joyce Yu, Katherine Brown |
CSHL 87th Symposium: Stem Cells
Preprints mentioned by speakers at the #CSHLsymp23
List by | Alex Eve |
Journal of Cell Science meeting ‘Imaging Cell Dynamics’
This preList highlights the preprints discussed at the JCS meeting 'Imaging Cell Dynamics'. The meeting was held from 14 - 17 May 2023 in Lisbon, Portugal and was organised by Erika Holzbaur, Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz, Rob Parton and Michael Way.
List by | Helen Zenner |
9th International Symposium on the Biology of Vertebrate Sex Determination
This preList contains preprints discussed during the 9th International Symposium on the Biology of Vertebrate Sex Determination. This conference was held in Kona, Hawaii from April 17th to 21st 2023.
List by | Martin Estermann |
Alumni picks – preLights 5th Birthday
This preList contains preprints that were picked and highlighted by preLights Alumni - an initiative that was set up to mark preLights 5th birthday. More entries will follow throughout February and March 2023.
List by | Sergio Menchero et al. |
CellBio 2022 – An ASCB/EMBO Meeting
This preLists features preprints that were discussed and presented during the CellBio 2022 meeting in Washington, DC in December 2022.
List by | Nadja Hümpfer et al. |
Fibroblasts
The advances in fibroblast biology preList explores the recent discoveries and preprints of the fibroblast world. Get ready to immerse yourself with this list created for fibroblasts aficionados and lovers, and beyond. Here, my goal is to include preprints of fibroblast biology, heterogeneity, fate, extracellular matrix, behavior, topography, single-cell atlases, spatial transcriptomics, and their matrix!
List by | Osvaldo Contreras |
EMBL Synthetic Morphogenesis: From Gene Circuits to Tissue Architecture (2021)
A list of preprints mentioned at the #EESmorphoG virtual meeting in 2021.
List by | Alex Eve |
FENS 2020
A collection of preprints presented during the virtual meeting of the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) in 2020
List by | Ana Dorrego-Rivas |
Planar Cell Polarity – PCP
This preList contains preprints about the latest findings on Planar Cell Polarity (PCP) in various model organisms at the molecular, cellular and tissue levels.
List by | Ana Dorrego-Rivas |
BioMalPar XVI: Biology and Pathology of the Malaria Parasite
[under construction] Preprints presented at the (fully virtual) EMBL BioMalPar XVI, 17-18 May 2020 #emblmalaria
List by | Dey Lab, Samantha Seah |
1
Cell Polarity
Recent research from the field of cell polarity is summarized in this list of preprints. It comprises of studies focusing on various forms of cell polarity ranging from epithelial polarity, planar cell polarity to front-to-rear polarity.
List by | Yamini Ravichandran |
TAGC 2020
Preprints recently presented at the virtual Allied Genetics Conference, April 22-26, 2020. #TAGC20
List by | Maiko Kitaoka et al. |
3D Gastruloids
A curated list of preprints related to Gastruloids (in vitro models of early development obtained by 3D aggregation of embryonic cells). Updated until July 2021.
List by | Paul Gerald L. Sanchez and Stefano Vianello |
ECFG15 – Fungal biology
Preprints presented at 15th European Conference on Fungal Genetics 17-20 February 2020 Rome
List by | Hiral Shah |
ASCB EMBO Annual Meeting 2019
A collection of preprints presented at the 2019 ASCB EMBO Meeting in Washington, DC (December 7-11)
List by | Madhuja Samaddar et al. |
EMBL Seeing is Believing – Imaging the Molecular Processes of Life
Preprints discussed at the 2019 edition of Seeing is Believing, at EMBL Heidelberg from the 9th-12th October 2019
List by | Dey Lab |
Autophagy
Preprints on autophagy and lysosomal degradation and its role in neurodegeneration and disease. Includes molecular mechanisms, upstream signalling and regulation as well as studies on pharmaceutical interventions to upregulate the process.
List by | Sandra Malmgren Hill |
Lung Disease and Regeneration
This preprint list compiles highlights from the field of lung biology.
List by | Rob Hynds |
Cellular metabolism
A curated list of preprints related to cellular metabolism at Biorxiv by Pablo Ranea Robles from the Prelights community. Special interest on lipid metabolism, peroxisomes and mitochondria.
List by | Pablo Ranea Robles |
BSCB/BSDB Annual Meeting 2019
Preprints presented at the BSCB/BSDB Annual Meeting 2019
List by | Dey Lab |
MitoList
This list of preprints is focused on work expanding our knowledge on mitochondria in any organism, tissue or cell type, from the normal biology to the pathology.
List by | Sandra Franco Iborra |
Biophysical Society Annual Meeting 2019
Few of the preprints that were discussed in the recent BPS annual meeting at Baltimore, USA
List by | Joseph Jose Thottacherry |
ASCB/EMBO Annual Meeting 2018
This list relates to preprints that were discussed at the recent ASCB conference.
List by | Dey Lab, Amanda Haage |
Also in the immunology category:
Journal of Cell Science meeting ‘Imaging Cell Dynamics’
This preList highlights the preprints discussed at the JCS meeting 'Imaging Cell Dynamics'. The meeting was held from 14 - 17 May 2023 in Lisbon, Portugal and was organised by Erika Holzbaur, Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz, Rob Parton and Michael Way.
List by | Helen Zenner |
Fibroblasts
The advances in fibroblast biology preList explores the recent discoveries and preprints of the fibroblast world. Get ready to immerse yourself with this list created for fibroblasts aficionados and lovers, and beyond. Here, my goal is to include preprints of fibroblast biology, heterogeneity, fate, extracellular matrix, behavior, topography, single-cell atlases, spatial transcriptomics, and their matrix!
List by | Osvaldo Contreras |
Single Cell Biology 2020
A list of preprints mentioned at the Wellcome Genome Campus Single Cell Biology 2020 meeting.
List by | Alex Eve |
Autophagy
Preprints on autophagy and lysosomal degradation and its role in neurodegeneration and disease. Includes molecular mechanisms, upstream signalling and regulation as well as studies on pharmaceutical interventions to upregulate the process.
List by | Sandra Malmgren Hill |
Antimicrobials: Discovery, clinical use, and development of resistance
Preprints that describe the discovery of new antimicrobials and any improvements made regarding their clinical use. Includes preprints that detail the factors affecting antimicrobial selection and the development of antimicrobial resistance.
List by | Zhang-He Goh |
Zebrafish immunology
A compilation of cutting-edge research that uses the zebrafish as a model system to elucidate novel immunological mechanisms in health and disease.
List by | Shikha Nayar |