Biology News Net
RSS 2.0 Feed
This is a biology-specific news aggregator linking to the most recent copyrighted news and articles on popular websites. Our sources
March 23, 2017

[Report] A macrophage relay for long-distance signaling during postembryonic tissue remodeling

ScienceNOW - Fetched: March 23rd, 2017, 3:00pm UTC
Macrophages have diverse functions in immunity as well as in development and homeostasis. We identified a function for these cells in long-distance communication during postembryonic tissue remodeling. Ablation of macrophages in zebrafish prevented melanophores from coalescing into adult pigment stripes. Melanophore organization depends on signals provided by cells of the yellow xanthophore lineage via airinemes, long filamentous projections with vesicles at their tips. We show that airineme extension from originating cells, as well as vesicle deposition on target cells, depend on interactions with macrophages. These findings identify a role for macrophages in relaying long-range signals between nonimmune cells. This signaling modality may function in the remodeling and homeostasis of other tissues during normal development and disease. Authors: Dae Seok Eom, David M. Parichy

Read more

Return to the Newsfeed