Dou Wu, Yongping Chai, Zhiwen Zhu, Wenjing Li, Guangshuo Ou, Wei Li
Developmental biology 2017 Aug 01Efficient clearance of apoptotic cells is essential for tissue homeostasis in metazoans. Genetic studies in Caenorhabditis elegans have identified signaling cascades that activate CED-10/Rac1 GTPase and promote actin cytoskeletal rearrangement during apoptotic cell engulfment. However, the molecular connection between CED-10 activation and actin reorganization remains elusive. Here, we provide evidence that CED-10 binds to the Arp2/3 nucleation promoting factor WASP; CED-10 recruits WASP and Arp2/3 to apoptotic cell corpses in the phagocytes. The loss of WASP and Arp2/3 impaired cell corpse engulfment. Furthermore, we uncover that a WASP-activating factor SEM-5/GRB2 functions in the phagocytes to promote cell corpse clearance. Together, our results suggest CED-10 reorganizes the actin cytoskeleton by recruiting the WASP-Arp2/3 actin nucleation factors during apoptotic cell engulfment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Dou Wu, Yongping Chai, Zhiwen Zhu, Wenjing Li, Guangshuo Ou, Wei Li. CED-10-WASP-Arp2/3 signaling axis regulates apoptotic cell corpse engulfment in C. elegans. Developmental biology. 2017 Aug 01;428(1):215-223
PMID: 28602951
View Full Text