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First published online 20 January 2009
doi: 10.1242/jcs.037200
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Research Article |


Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK
Author for correspondence (e-mail: siamon.gordon{at}path.ox.ac.uk)
Accepted 20 October 2008
Multinucleated giant cells, characteristic of granulomatous infections, originate from the fusion of macrophages. Using an antibody screening strategy we found that the scavenger receptor CD36 participates in macrophage fusion induced by the cytokines IL-4 and GM-CSF. Our results demonstrate that exposure of phosphatidylserine on the cell surface and lipid recognition by CD36 are required for cytokine-induced fusion of macrophages. We also show that CD36 acts in a heterotypic manner during giant-cell formation and that the formation of osteoclasts is independent of CD36. The discovery of molecules involved in the formation of multinucleated giant cells will enable us to determine their functional significance. Furthermore, our results suggest that lipid capture by cell surface receptors may be a general feature of cell fusion.
Key words: CD36, Macrophage fusion, IL-4, Multinucleated giant cell, Mouse
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R. L. Silverstein and M. Febbraio CD36, a Scavenger Receptor Involved in Immunity, Metabolism, Angiogenesis, and Behavior Sci. Signal., May 26, 2009; 2(72): re3 - re3. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
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