Name: experimental analysis of apoptotic thymocyte engulfment by macrophages
Uploaded: 2019-05-24T15:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Experimental Analysis of Apoptotic Thymocyte Engulfment by Macrophages at JoVE.com

Research in the Shao Lab is supported by Research Innovative Award from the College of Medicine and the Junior Faculty Pilot Award from the Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati and grant DK K01_095067 from NIDDK/NIH.

Experimental mice were bred and maintained in our mice colony. All animal work was conducted according to the guidelines of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) of the University of Cincinnati.
1. Preparation of CFSE labeled apoptotic thymocytes
<ol>
	<li>Euthanize two na&#239;ve C57/B6 mice by CO2 inhalation for 10 min and dissect to open the chest cavity, remove (pull out) the thymus with curved fine-tip forceps into tissue culture petri dish containing 10 mL ...

<ol>
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S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Apoptosis+in+cancer:+from+pathogenesis+to+treatment.">Apoptosis in cancer: from pathogenesis to treatment.</a> Journal of Experimental and Clinical Cancer Research. 30, 87 (2011).</li><li>Baig, S., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Potential+of+apoptotic+pathway-targeted+cancer+therapeutic+research:+Where+do+we+stand.">Potential of apoptotic pathway-targeted cancer therapeutic research: Where do we stand.</a> Cell Death and Disease. 7, 2058 (2016).</li><li>Poon, I. K., Lucas, C. D., Rossi, A. G., Ravichandran, K. 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Apoptosis is a highly conserved cell death process that involves many signal cascades and induces protein expression, secretion, and transportation. Apoptosis is often associated with cellular morphology changes17. Apoptotic cells actively release cytokines and chemokines that attract phagocytes to migrate to the site and initiate the process of engulfment, an extremely complex pathway under tight control18. On the other hand, necrotic cell death releases danger signals tha...

Our body generates 1-10 billion apoptotic cells on a daily basis. Such a large number of apoptotic cells must be cleared in a way that the immune responses remain quiescent. To ensure the clearance of apoptotic cells in a timely manner, numerous types of tissue resident cells and circulating cells develop mechanisms to engulf apoptotic cells1. Dysfunctional regulation of apoptosis has been implicated in the onset and progression of various inflammatory disease and autoimmunity2. Apoptosis also plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of cancer development and its subsequent resistance to conventional treatments3,4. Removal of apoptotic cells generally promotes an anti-inflammatory response, which may be linked to immunological tolerance5. Disturbance of apoptotic cell clearance drives self-immunization and contributes to the development of systemic autoimmune diseases in both humans and mice6.
When cells undergo apoptosis, they expose the phosphatidylserine (PtdSer) from the inner leaflet to the outer leaflet of the membrane. PtdSer will then be recognized by phagocytes through surface receptors. Over a dozen receptors have been identified to recognize and/or facilitate the engulfment of apoptotic cells. In general, there are at least three types of surface receptors involved in the apoptotic cell clearance: tethering receptors, recognize apoptotic cells; tickling receptors, initiate engulfment; chaperoning receptors, facilitate the whole process7. TAM receptor tyrosine kinases (TAM RTKs) consist of Tyro-3, Axl, and Mer and are primarily expressed by myeloid cells of the immune system8. The primary function of TAM RTKs is to serve as tethering receptors, facilitating the phagocytic removal of apoptotic cells and debris. Our group has studied TAM mediated apoptotic cell clearance in the setting of autoimmunity for many years. The vitamin K-dependent protein growth arrest specific protein 6 (Gas6) and protein S (ProS) binds to and activates TAM receptors9,10. Gas6 is produced in the heart, kidneys, and lungs. ProS is mainly produced in the liver11. TAM recognizes of apoptotic cells in such a way that the N-terminal of Gas6/ProS binds to the PtdSer on an apoptotic cell and the C-terminal of Gas6/ProS binds to TAM receptors that anchored on the surface of phagocytes. Together with the other receptors, engulfment of apoptotic cells occurs12. Though Mer can bind to both the ligands ProS and Gas6, we found that Gas6 appears to be the sole ligand for Mer-mediated macrophage phagocytosis of apoptotic cells, which can be blocked by anti-Mer antibody13. Macrophages are professional phagocytes. Rapid clearance of apoptotic cells by macrophages is important for the inhibition of inflammation and autoimmune responses against intracellular antigens. Mer receptor tyrosine kinase is critical for the macrophage engulfment and efficient clearance of apoptotic cells14. In mouse spleen, Mer mainly expresses on the marginal zone and tangible body macrophages13.
The protocol presented here describes a basic method to induce cell apoptosis and demonstrate ways to measure the process and the efficiency of efferocytosis. These protocols can be readily adapted to study efferocytosis by other cell types in engulfment of apoptotic cells of different origins.

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		<col />
		<col />
		<col />
	</colgroup>
	<tbody>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:292px;">Ack lysing buffer</td>
			<td style="width:131px;">GIBCO</td>
			<td style="width:135px;">A10492</td>
			<td style="width:275px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:292px;">Annexin V/7-AAD</td>
			<td style="width:131px;">BD Pharmingen</td>
			<td style="width:135px;">559763</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:292px;">Anti-Mer antibody</td>
			<td style="width:131px;">R&#38;D Systems</td>
			<td style="width:135px;">BAF591</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:292px;">CD11b-PE (clone M1/70)</td>
			<td style="width:131px;">BD Pharmingen</td>
			<td style="width:135px;">553311</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:292px;">CFSE</td>
			<td style="width:131px;">Invitrogen</td>
			<td style="width:135px;">C1157</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:292px;">DMSO</td>
			<td style="width:131px;">Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:135px;">D-2650</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:292px;">EDTA (0.5 mM)</td>
			<td style="width:131px;">GIBCO</td>
			<td style="width:135px;">15575-020</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:292px;">FACS tubes</td>
			<td style="width:131px;">BD Biosciences</td>
			<td style="width:135px;">352017</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:292px;">Frosted slides</td>
			<td style="width:131px;">Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td style="width:135px;">12-552-343</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:292px;">Horse Serum (Heat-inactivated)</td>
			<td style="width:131px;">Invitrogen</td>
			<td style="width:135px;">26050088</td>
			<td style="width:275px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:292px;">Lidocaine</td>
			<td style="width:131px;">Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:135px;">L-5647</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">Prepare 1% buffer in 1x PBS</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:292px;">PBS, 1x</td>
			<td style="width:131px;">Corning</td>
			<td style="width:135px;">21040CV</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:292px;">RPMI-1640</td>
			<td style="width:131px;">Corning</td>
			<td style="width:135px;">10040CV</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:292px;">RXDX-106</td>
			<td style="width:131px;">Selleck Chemicals</td>
			<td style="width:135px;">CEP-40783</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:292px;">Staurosprine (100mg)</td>
			<td style="width:131px;">Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td style="width:135px;">BP2541-100</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">Add 214.3 ml of DMSO into 100mg to make 1mM stocking solution</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="63">
			<td height="63" style="height:63px;width:292px;">Thioglycolate Medium Brewer Modified</td>
			<td style="width:131px;">BD Biosciences</td>
			<td style="width:135px;">243010</td>
			<td style="width:275px;">Prepare 3% thioglycolate buffer in 1&#180;PBS, autoclaved, and store in the dark for 3 months.</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

experimental analysis of apoptotic thymocyte engulfment by macrophages

Cell apoptosis is a natural process and plays a critical role in embryonic development, homeostatic regulation, immune tolerance induction, and resolution of inflammation. Accumulation of apoptotic debris in the body may trigger chronic inflammatory responses that lead to systemic autoimmune diseases over time. Impaired apoptotic cell clearance has been implicated in a variety of autoimmune diseases. Apoptotic clearance is a complex process rarely detected under physiological conditions. It involves abundant surface receptors and signaling molecules. Studying the process of apoptotic cell clearance provides insightful molecular mechanisms and subsequent biological responses, which may lead to the development of new therapeutics. Here, we describe protocols for the induction of apoptotic thymocytes, the preparation of peritoneal macrophages, and the analysis of apoptotic cell clearance by flow cytometry and microscopy. All cells will undergo apoptosis at a certain stage, and many residential and circulating cells can uptake apoptotic debris. Therefore, the protocol described here can be used in many applications to characterize apoptotic cell binding and ingestion by many other cell types.

Analysis of peritoneal macrophage-mediated engulfment of apoptotic thymocytes. Peritoneal macrophages and apoptotic cells were prepared and co-cultured as described in the protocol. Macrophages were detached and stained with PE conjugated anti-CD11b antibody for 20 min on ice. Macrophages were then washed and processed in a flow cytometer. As seen, there is no CFSE positive macrophage in the bottom right quadrant when no apoptotic cells were added into the culture (Figure 1<...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Experimental Analysis of Apoptotic Thymocyte Engulfment by Macrophages at JoVE.com

Experimental Analysis of Apoptotic Thymocyte Engulfment by Macrophages

Here, we present a protocol to prepare apoptotic thymocytes and peritoneal macrophages and analyze the efficiency of efferocytosis and the specific inhibitor-mediated blocking of apoptotic thymocytes engulfment. This protocol has a broad application in cell-mediated clearance of other particles including artificial beads and bacteria.

Cell apoptosis is a natural process and plays a critical role in embryonic development, homeostatic regulation, immune tolerance induction, and resolution ...

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