The Role of Urokinase Receptor (uPAR) In Efferocytosis: uPAR Engulfs Apoptotic Cells via a Phosphatidylserine Pathway Mediated by Plasma High Molecular Weight Kininogen

Abstract 929

Phagocytosis of apoptotic cells by phagocytes, also known as efferocytosis, is essential for maintaining normal tissue homeostasis and regulating immune responses. Defects in rapid clearance of apoptotic cells lead to the release of immunogenic cellular contents, which may cause tissue damage and autoimmune disease. Phagocytic receptors differentiate apoptotic cells from viable cells by recognizing ‘don't eat- or eat-me’ signals on the cell surface. Recently, we and others have reported the role of uPAR in mediating efferocytosis. In this study, we examined the mechanism by which uPAR recognizes and internalizes apoptotic cells. By flow cytometry-based in vivo and in vitro phagocytosis assay, we found that in knockout mice the lack of uPAR expression on macrophages decreased their apoptotic cell engulfing activity by >35%. Conversely, soluble uPAR and polyclonal anti-uPAR antibodies (Ab) suppressed the internalization of apoptotic cells by macrophages. However, there was no defect in uPAR-/- macrophage uptake of viable cells, suggesting that uPAR plays a specific role in phagocytosis of apoptotic cells. We established a HEK 293 cell line expressing human full-length uPAR (293-uPAR). In these cells, uPAR-mediated phagocytosis of apoptotic cells was completely blocked by annexin V in the presence of calcium. The effect of annexin V was not observed in the absence of calcium, indicating that uPAR internalizes apoptotic cells through a phosphatidylserine pathway. We also found that uPAR-mediated uptake of apoptotic cells was completely prevented under serum-free conditions. To identify plasma proteins that may opsonize the uPAR function, we used immunodepletion method to test three known uPAR-binding proteins, vitronectin, uPA and high molecular weight kininogen (HK). Depletion of HK from serum by a polyclonal anti-HK Ab significantly reduced the engulfment of apoptotic cells by either macrophages or 293-uPAR cells in a co-culture system. In contrast, depletion of vitronectin or uPA from serum had little effect. uPAR is a GPI-anchored protein. Upon sucrose gradient ultracentrifugation, the majority of uPAR molecules were co-localized with membrane-bound HK in lipid rafts. The binding capacity of HK to apoptotic cell surface was further analyzed by flow cytometry. Phycoerythrin-labeled HK bound to apoptotic cells in a concentration-dependent manner, saturating at 300 nM. In contrast, HK did not bind to viable cells at concentrations up to 1200 nM. It is known that HK is a key component of the plasma contact system and that apoptotic cells potentiate factor Xa formation. Our new findings of the uPAR-HK-phosphatidylserine axis in efferocytosis suggest that this pathway may modulate the coagulation cascade on the surface of apoptotic cells. This pathway may also play a role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune and thrombotic disease.