Methods for Quantitative Efferocytosis Assays

Nima Taefehshokr; Bryan Heit

doi:10.1007/978-1-0716-3338-0_4

Methods for Quantitative Efferocytosis Assays

Methods Mol Biol. 2023:2692:41-59. doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3338-0_4.

Authors

Nima Taefehshokr¹, Bryan Heit^{2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Microbiology and Immunology, and The Western Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Centre, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.
² Department of Microbiology and Immunology, and The Western Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Centre, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada. bheit@uwo.ca.
³ Robarts Research Institute, London, ON, Canada. bheit@uwo.ca.

PMID: 37365460
DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3338-0_4

Abstract

Efferocytosis, the phagocytic removal of apoptotic cells, is a dynamic process requiring recruitment of numerous regulatory proteins to mediate the uptake, engulfment, and degradation of apoptotic cells. Herein, we describe microscopy-based methods for the enumeration of efferocytic events and characterization of the spatiotemporal dynamics of signaling molecule recruitment during efferocytosis using genetically encoded probes and immunofluorescent labeling. While these methods are illustrated using macrophages, they are applicable to any efferocytic cell type.

Keywords: Efferocytosis; Immunostaining; Macrophage; Method; Microscopy; Phagocytosis.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Apoptosis*
Macrophages / metabolism
Phagocytes
Phagocytosis*
Signal Transduction

Grants and funding

CIHR/Canada