2017-06-25 13:59:22
An unexpected discovery comes to add a new function to one of the star cells of the immune system: the macrophage. As their name indicates, macrophages are large cells (macro) capable of eating (phages), of phagocytizing –as it is said in scientific language– microorganisms such as bacteria or viruses, (and also dead cells and their remains) to kill them. and digest them inside. Macrophages are fundamental cells for the antibacterial fight and, in particular, for the fight against the so-called mycobacteria, which cause diseases as serious as tuberculosis or leprosy.
In recent years it has been discovered that macrophages not only play a critical role in the body’s defense, but also in other important processes. Well, now, two researchers from the University of Washington in Seattle, USA, discover that macrophages mediate communication between two types of cells, communication that is essential for the correct spatial ordering of these cells into functional structures. The discovery came about by studying the formation of bands on the body of the zebrafish, a small minnow whose body is covered in black and yellow stripes, which explains its name.
The bands on the body of this fish are generated by the arrangement of two types of cells that produce different pigments. The yellow bands are made up of cells called xanthophores (which produce a yellow, xanthine-like pigment) and the black bands are made up of cells called melanophores (which produce melanin, a dark-colored pigment). The correct spatial ordering between xanthophores and melanophores is achieved through communication between these two cells, which send molecular signals, which leads to the organization and formation of the black and yellow bands.
The researchers decided to kill the zebrafish macrophages using pharmacological methods. They thus verified that in fish without macrophages the bands on their bodies did not form properly and, instead, they would appear as black spots, indicating cell disorganization, the result of incorrect communication between xanthophores and melanophores. Thus, the evidence indicated that macrophages were involved in the communication between these two cells.
The scientists believe that this new behavior of macrophages is not limited to zebrafish, since the functions of macrophages are very similar in different species of the animal kingdom. Therefore, this discovery opens the door to investigate in which other organisms macrophages participate in the organization of the cells that form the different organs and tissues, which, if not correct, can cause different diseases.
More information on Jorge Laborda’s Blog: The bite of the macrophage.
Referencia: D. S. Eom and D. M. Parichy. A macrophage relay for long-distance signaling during postembryonic tissue remodeling Science 10.1126/science.aal2745 (2017).
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