Cited by 374Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration MechanismsAutophagy in Disease and TherapyPhagocytosis and Immune Regulation

Microglial Beclin 1 Regulates Retromer Trafficking and Phagocytosis and Is Impaired in Alzheimer’s Disease

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Lucin, Kurt M., O’Brien, Caitlin E., Bieri, Gregor, Czirr, Eva, Mosher, Kira I., Abbey, Rachelle J., Mastroeni, Diego F., Rogers, Joseph +3 more·2013·Neuron

Abstract

Phagocytosis controls CNS homeostasis by facilitating the removal of unwanted cellular debris. Accordingly, impairments in different receptors or proteins involved in phagocytosis result in enhanced inflammation and neurodegeneration. While various studies have identified extrinsic factors that modulate phagocytosis in health and disease, key intracellular regulators are less understood. Here we show that the autophagy protein beclin 1 is required for efficient phagocytosis in vitro and in mouse brains. Furthermore, we show that beclin 1-mediated impairments in phagocytosis are associated with dysfunctional recruitment of retromer to phagosomal membranes, reduced retromer levels, and impaired recycling of phagocytic receptors CD36 and Trem2. Interestingly, microglia isolated from human Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains show significantly reduced beclin 1 and retromer protein levels. These findings position beclin 1 as a link between autophagy, retromer trafficking, and receptor-mediated phagocytosis and provide insight into mechanisms by which phagocytosis is regulated and how it may become impaired in AD.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.neuron.2013.06.046

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  • Although beads are not physiological substrates of phagocytes, they serve as experimental substrates to probe phagocytic response under in vitro experimental conditions.

    “Although the beads are not physiological substrates of phagocytes, they serve as experimental substrates to probe phagocytic response under in vitro experimental conditions [37].”
  • Microglial phagocytosis of Aβ deposits in Alzheimer disease models requires the autophagy-related factors BECN1, ATG7 and LC3.

    “microglial phagocytosis of Aβ deposits in Alzheimer disease models [430,431] requires the autophagy-related factors BECN1, ATG7 and LC3 [432,433].”
  • Autophagy may enhance microglial clearance of Aβ, as it does in neurons.

    “autophagy may also enhance microglial clearance of Aβ”

    From TREM2 Maintains Microglial Metabolic Fitness in Alzheimer’s Disease (2017) · cites this paper as Lucin et al., 2013

  • Beclin 1 protein levels are decreased in microglia from Alzheimer's disease brains.

    “and that this protein is decreased in microglia from AD brains [153].”

    From Microglial dysfunction in brain aging and Alzheimer's disease (2014) · cites this paper as [153]

  • Reducing beclin 1 genetically disrupted phagocytosis and retromer-mediated recycling of the phagocytic receptors CD36 and TREM2 in microglia.

    “a study from our laboratory recently demonstrated that genetic-reduction of beclin 1, a protein classically associated with the autophagy degradation pathway, disrupted phagocytosis and retromer-mediated recycling of the phagocytic receptors CD36 and TREM2 in microglia”

    From Microglial dysfunction in brain aging and Alzheimer's disease (2014) · cites this paper as [153]

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Authors
Lucin, K. M., O’Brien, C. E., Bieri, G., Czirr, E., Mosher, K. I., Abbey, R. J., Mastroeni, D. F., Rogers, J., Spencer, B., Masliah, E., & Wyss-Coray, T.
Affiliations
  • VA Palo Alto Health Care System (US)
  • Banner Sun Health Research Institute (US)
  • SRI International (US)
  • University of California San Diego (US)
Venue
Neuron
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2013-09
Volume
79
Issue
5
Pages
873-886
ISSN
0896-6273 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2081014274
Cited by
374
References
62
Citations by year
2026: 11 · 2025: 23 · 2024: 27 · 2023: 34 · 2022: 38 · 2021: 37 · 2020: 30 · 2019: 37 · 2018: 28 · 2017: 24 · 2016: 23 · 2015: 33 · 2014: 27 · 2013: 2
FWCI
15.87
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Neuron (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Research Publications (Maastricht University) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • Research Publications (Maastricht University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Funders
  • U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (I01 BX001319)
  • University of California, Irvine
  • National Institute on Aging (P30-AG-19610, F31AG040877, R01 AG10435, R01AG18440, R37AG018440, R01AG018440, P50AG005131, R01AG020603, R01AG030144, R01AG045034, P30AG019610, R01AG043384)
  • National Institute of Mental Health (T32MH020016)
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (P30NS069375, F31NS078865, U24NS072026)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Autophagy in Disease and Therapy
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Phagocytosis and Immune Regulation
Keywords
Beclin-1, retromer complex, phagocytosis, microglia, Alzheimer's disease, autophagy, CD36, TREM2, receptor recycling, neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration
MeSH terms
Beclin-1, Alzheimer Disease, Animals, Autophagy, Brain, Cell Line, Humans, Membrane Glycoproteins, Membrane Proteins, Phagocytosis, Receptors, Immunologic, Amyloid beta-Peptides, Microglia, CD36 Antigens, Vesicular Transport Proteins, Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins, Mice

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