Thymosin beta4 is involved in stabilin-2-mediated apoptotic cell engulfment

FEBS Lett. 2008 Jun 25;582(15):2161-6. doi: 10.1016/j.febslet.2008.03.058. Epub 2008 Jun 2.

Abstract

Stabilin-2 was recently identified as a novel receptor for membrane phosphatidylserine of apoptotic cells. To identify proteins that were candidates for stabilin-2 cytoplasmic domain binding, we screened a human spleen cDNA library using the yeast two-hybrid system. We found that thymosin beta4 interacts with the stabilin-2 cytoplasmic domain and is co-localized with stabilin-2 at the phagocytic cup. Knockdown of thymosin beta4 significantly decreased the phagocytic activity of stabilin-2, whereas overexpression of thymosin beta4 increased this activity. Additionally, amino acids 2504-2514 of stabilin-2 cytoplasmic domain were found to be responsible for the interaction with thymosin beta4. Taken together, these results suggest that thymosin beta4 is a downstream molecule of stabilin-2 that plays a role in stabilin-2-mediated cell corpse clearance.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Apoptosis*
  • Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal / genetics
  • Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal / metabolism*
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Gene Library
  • Humans
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Phagocytosis*
  • Thymosin / genetics
  • Thymosin / metabolism*
  • Two-Hybrid System Techniques

Substances

  • Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal
  • STAB2 protein, human
  • thymosin beta(4)
  • Thymosin