MORE ABOUT HKUST
University News
Academic Departments A-Z
Life@HKUST
Library
Map & Directions
Jobs@HKUST
Faculty Profiles
About HKUST

Search

More About HKUST
Home Why LIFS? Careers Contact Us
HKUST HKUST Division of Life Science
Research
FacultyResearch AreasFacilities
Education
Undergraduate
ProgramsScholarshipsCurriculumAdmissionCoursesResearch ProjectsInternshipsUndergraduate Advising TeamArticulation Pathways
Postgraduate
MPhil/PhD in Life SciencePhD Dual-degree ProgrammeMSc in BiotechnologyAdmissionCoursesSummer Camp
QA at HKUST
News & Events
NewsEvents
Home
May 22, 2019 by LIFS Editor News 0 comments

Metaphocytes, a new cell type involving in immune in zebrafish

Tissue-resident macrophages (TRMs) are highly heterogeneous and engage in a wide range of diverse functions. Yet, the heterogeneities of their origins and distinct functions remain poorly defined.

Using a high temporal-spatial resolved cell labelling combined with transcriptome and functional analysis, Dr. Zilong Wen’s laboratory has recently identified a myeloid-like cell population in zebrafish epidermis. This newly identified myeloid-like cell population, designated as metaphocytes, are of ectodermal origin but shares high similarities with mesoderm-derived conventional macrophages in the skin – Langerhans cells in both anatomical location, cellular morphology and transcriptome profile.

Surprisingly, unlike conventional Langerhans cells, metaphocytes respond to neither injury nor bacteria challenge, but rather they capture soluble antigens from the external environment through transepithelial protrusions and transfer the antigens to Langerhans cells through apoptosis-phagocytosis cascade. These results indicate that metaphocytes may play a critical role in T cell activation in response to soluble antigens through regulating the antigen uptake of Langerhans cells.

This study, which recently published in Developmental Cell, documents the existence of ectoderm-derived myeloid-like cells and opens a new paradigm for investigation the heterogeneities of resident immune cells.

Journal Reference:

Xi Lin, Qiuxia Zhou, Changlong Zhao, Guanzhen Lin, Jin Xu, and Zilong Wen. An Ectoderm-Derived Myeloid-like Cell Population Functions as Antigen Transporters for Langerhans Cells in Zebrafish Epidermis. Dev Cell, 2019; DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2019.03.028

antigen uptake epidermis langerhans cells metaphocytes publication tissue-resident macrophages zebrafish
3

Related Posts

Pathogenesis of Usher syndrome, a hereditary deafness disease

September 30, 2019
Read More

HKUST iGEM team wins second runner-up with over 350 teams from 40+ countries that participated at Grand Jamboree in Paris.

November 14, 2022
Read More

Dr. Jiguang Wang received the 2019 NSFC-Excellent Young Scientists

October 8, 2019
Read More

Polymorphic provirus leads to epigenomic and transcriptomic variations in different mouse strains

November 25, 2021
Read More

Prof. Jiguang Wang received the "School of Engineering Young Investigator (Rising Star) Research Award 2018/19Previous Post
Prof. Mingjie Zhang awarded Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) grantNext Post

ADDRESS

Division of Life Science
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Clear Water Bay
Kowloon, Hong Kong

PHONE

Facsimile No. :
(852) 2358 1552

Telephone No. :
(852) 2358-7272 / 7339
  • Home
  • Careers
  • Contact us
  • Faculty
  • Intranet
HKUST
PrivacySitemap
Copyright © The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.All rights reserved.
Follow HKUST on
FacebookInstagramLinkedinYouTube
PrivacySitemap