Cited by 530Phagocytosis and Immune RegulationCell death mechanisms and regulationAutophagy in Disease and Therapy

Macrophage Metabolism of Apoptotic Cell-Derived Arginine Promotes Continual Efferocytosis and Resolution of Injury

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Yurdagul, Arif, Subramanian, Manikandan, Wang, Xiaobo, Crown, Scott B., Ilkayeva, Olga R., Darville, Lancia, Kolluru, Gopi K., Rymond, Christina C. +8 more·2020·Cell Metabolism

Abstract

Continual efferocytic clearance of apoptotic cells (ACs) by macrophages prevents necrosis and promotes injury resolution. How continual efferocytosis is promoted is not clear. Here, we show that the process is optimized by linking the metabolism of engulfed cargo from initial efferocytic events to subsequent rounds. We found that continual efferocytosis is enhanced by the metabolism of AC-derived arginine and ornithine to putrescine by macrophage arginase 1 (Arg1) and ornithine decarboxylase (ODC). Putrescine augments HuR-mediated stabilization of the mRNA encoding the GTP-exchange factor Dbl, which activates actin-regulating Rac1 to facilitate subsequent rounds of AC internalization. Inhibition of any step along this pathway after first-AC uptake suppresses second-AC internalization, whereas putrescine addition rescues this defect. Mice lacking myeloid Arg1 or ODC have defects in efferocytosis in vivo and in atherosclerosis regression, while treatment with putrescine promotes atherosclerosis resolution. Thus, macrophage metabolism of AC-derived metabolites allows for optimal continual efferocytosis and resolution of injury.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.cmet.2020.01.001

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  • A conserved metabolic circuit essential for high efferocytic activity of reparative macrophages involves conversion of apoptotic cell-derived arginine and ornithine into putrescine via Arg1 and ODC.

    “Earlier studies identified a conserved metabolic circuit essential for the high efferocytic activity of reparative macrophages. This pathway involves the conversion of apoptotic cell-derived arginine and ornithine into putrescine via arginase 1 (Arg1) and ornithine decarboxylase (ODC).”

    From Macrophage duality in liver diseases: heterogeneity, plasticity, and the quest for precision therapeutics (2026) · cites this paper as [51]

    The Results section reports that apoptotic cell-derived arginine is converted to ornithine and putrescine in mouse macrophages, and that the Arg1–ODC–putrescine pathway promotes continual efferocytosis in resolving-type macrophages. The Limitation of Study section qualifies the claim that this entire circuit is conserved: cultured human macrophages lack appreciable Arg1 and can instead use apoptotic cell-derived ornithine directly to produce putrescine via ODC. Page numbers are unavailable in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Metabolic processing of one apoptotic cell augments the capacity to clear the next, providing a fundamental mechanism for injury resolution.

    “Thus, metabolic processing of one apoptotic cell augments the capacity to clear the next, providing a fundamental mechanism for injury resolution.”
  • Putrescine fuels a self-reinforcing cycle that promotes continual efferocytosis by enhancing Rac1-dependent phagosome internalization.

    “Putrescine, in turn, fuels a self-reinforcing cycle that promotes continual efferocytosis—the sequential clearance of apoptotic corpses—by enhancing Rac1-dependent phagosome internalization (51).”

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Authors
Yurdagul, A., Subramanian, M., Wang, X., Crown, S. B., Ilkayeva, O. R., Darville, L., Kolluru, G. K., Rymond, C. C., Gerlach, B. D., Zheng, Z., Kuriakose, G., Kevil, C. G., Koomen, J. M., Cleveland, J. L., Muoio, D. M., & Tabas, I.
Affiliations
  • Columbia University Irving Medical Center (US)
  • Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IN)
  • Columbia University (US)
  • Duke University (US)
  • Moffitt Cancer Center (US)
  • Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport (US)
Corresponding author
  • Yurdagul, Arif
  • Tabas, Ira
Venue
Cell Metabolism
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2020-03
Volume
31
Issue
3
Pages
518-533.e10
ISSN
1550-4131 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W3004079464
Cited by
525
References
70
Citations by year
2026: 112 · 2025: 101 · 2024: 97 · 2023: 76 · 2022: 61 · 2021: 57 · 2020: 21
FWCI
18.48
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Cell Metabolism (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
National Institutes of Health
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Phagocytosis and Immune Regulation
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Cell death mechanisms and regulation
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Autophagy in Disease and Therapy
Keywords
efferocytosis, macrophage metabolism, arginine metabolism, ornithine, putrescine, arginase-1, ornithine decarboxylase, Rac1, actin cytoskeleton, atherosclerosis regression
MeSH terms
ELAV-Like Protein 1, Animals, Arginase, Arginine, Humans, Macrophages, Male, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Ornithine Decarboxylase, Phagocytosis, Putrescine, RNA, Messenger, Apoptosis, Gene Deletion, Jurkat Cells, Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors, rac1 GTP-Binding Protein, RNA Stability, Myeloid Cells

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