Biology subjects

Fountain, A.

Publications and source records attributed to Fountain, A..

5 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

SPIC-dependent erythrophagocytic macrophages drive granuloma formation and pathogen persistence during intracellular bacterial infection

Macrophages maintain tissue homeostasis by phagocytosing spent cells, recycling nutrients, and mounting antimicrobial responses to eliminate pathogens. Yet, they can also act as a cellular niche and organize granulomas that enable intracellular bacteria, such as Salmonella enterica, to persist in infected tissues. Here, using a murine Salmonella Typhimurium (STm) infection model, we find that granuloma formation and bacterial persistence are dependent on SPIC, which controls development of VCAM1+ macrophages critical for erythrocyte, heme, and iron recycling. VCAM1+ macrophages markedly increase in infected spleens and have high levels of erythrophagocytosis, intracellular bacteria, and T-cell co-stimulatory ligands. Using SPIC-deficient mice generated from CRISPR gene editing, we show that SPIC is required for macrophage co-stimulatory ligand expression and formation of a VCAM1+ macrophage zone that produces CXCL9 retaining T cells at the granuloma periphery. SPIC deletion abolishes this granuloma cellular architecture and reduces bacterial persistence. We propose that SPIC-dependent erythrophagocytic macrophages drive granuloma formation and bacterial tissue persistence.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2024

Depletion of endomembrane reservoirs drives phagocytic appetite exhaustion in macrophages

During phagocytosis, a phagocytic cup grows via F-actin remodelling and localized secretion to entrap a particle within a phagosome, which then fuses with endosomes and lysosomes to digest the particle, followed by phagosome resolution. As spatially limited systems, phagocytes have a maximal phagocytic capacity, at which point further uptake must be blunted. However, the processes responsible for phagocytic appetite exhaustion as phagocytes reach their maximal phagocytic capacity are poorly defined. We found that macrophages at their capacity have lower surface levels of Fc{gamma} receptors but overexpression of these receptors did not increase their capacity, suggesting that receptor levels are not limiting. Instead, surface membrane in-folding, membrane tension, and cortical F-actin were all reduced in exhausted macrophages. While this might contribute to appetite suppression, we also found that "free" endosomes and lysosomes were severely depleted in exhausted macrophages. Consequently, focal exocytosis at sites of externally bound particles was blunted. In comparison, macrophages recovered their appetite if phagosome resolution was permitted. We propose that depletion of the endomembrane pools is a major determinant of phagocytic fatigue as macrophages reach their phagocytic capacity. Summary statementMacrophages that reach their maximal phagocytic capacity lose their appetite for further uptake. This appetite exhaustion is driven partly by depletion of endosomes and lysosomes, preventing growth of additional phagocytic cups.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2023

Arf1-PI4KIIIβ positive vesicles regulate phosphatidylinositol-3-phosphate signalling to facilitate the fission of lysosomal tubules.

Formation and fission of tubules from lysosomal organelles, such as autolysosomes, endolysosomes or phagolysosomes, are required for lysosome reformation. However, the mechanisms governing these processes in the different forms of lysosomal organelles are poorly understood. For instance, the role of phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate (PI(4)P) is unclear as it was shown to promote the formation of tubules from phagolysosomes but was proposed to inhibit tubule formation on autolysosomes because the loss of PI4KIII{beta} causes extensive lysosomal tubulations. Using super-resolution live-cell imaging, we show that Arf1-PI4KIII{beta} positive vesicles are recruited to tubule fission sites from autolysosomes, endolysosomes and phagolysosomes. Moreover, we show that PI(4)P is required to form autolysosomal tubules and that increased lysosomal tubulation caused by loss of PI4KIII{beta} represents impaired tubule fission. At the site of fission, we propose that Arf1-PI4KIII{beta} positive vesicles mediate a PI(3)P signal on lysosomes in a process requiring the lipid transfer protein SEC14L2. Our findings indicate that Arf1-PI4KIII{beta} positive vesicles and their regulation of PI(3)P are critical components of the lysosomal tubule fission machinery.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2020

Phagosome resolution regenerates lysosomes and maintains the degradative capacity in phagocytes

Phagocytes engulf unwanted particles into phagosomes that then fuse with lysosomes to degrade the enclosed particles. Ultimately, phagosomes must be recycled to help recover membrane resources that were consumed during phagocytosis and phagosome maturation, a process referred to as phagosome resolution. Little is known about phagosome resolution, which may proceed through exocytosis or membrane fission. Here, we show that bacteria-containing phagolysosomes in macrophages undergo fragmentation through vesicle budding, tubulation, and constriction. Phagosome fragmentation requires cargo degradation, the actin and microtubule cytoskeletons, and clathrin. We provide evidence that lysosome reformation occurs during phagosome resolution since the majority of phagosome-derived vesicles displayed lysosomal properties. Importantly, we show that clathrin-dependent phagosome resolution is important to maintain the degradative capacity of macrophages challenged with two waves of phagocytosis. Overall, our work suggests that phagosome resolution contributes to lysosome recovery and to maintain the degradative power of macrophages to handle multiple waves of phagocytosis. SummaryPhagocytes engulf particles into phagolysosomes for degradation. However, the ultimate fate of phagolysosomes is undefined. Lancaster, Fountain et al. show that phagosomes fragment to reform lysosomes in a clathrin-dependent manner. This process helps maintain the degradative capacity of phagocytes for subsequent rounds of phagocytosis.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2019

Reactive oxygen species rescue lysosome coalescence during PIKfyve inhibition

Lysosomes are terminal, degradative organelles of the endosomal pathway that undergo repeated fusion-fission cycles with themselves, endosomes, phagosomes, and autophagosomes. Lysosome number and size depends on balanced fusion and fission rates. Thus, conditions that favour fusion over fission can reduce lysosome numbers while enlarging their size. Conversely, favouring fission over fusion may cause lysosome fragmentation and increase their numbers. PIKfyve is a phosphoinositide kinase that generates phosphatidylinositol-3,5-bisphosphate to modulate lysosomal functions. PIKfyve inhibition causes an increase in lysosome size and reduction in lysosome number, consistent with lysosome coalescence. This is thought to proceed through reduced lysosome reformation and/or fission after fusion with endosomes or other lysosomes. Previously, we observed that photo-damage during live-cell imaging prevented lysosome coalescence during PIKfyve inhibition. Thus, we postulated that lysosome fusion and/or fission dynamics are affected by reactive oxygen species (ROS). Here, we show that ROS generated by various independent mechanisms all impaired lysosome coalescence during PIKfyve inhibition and accelerated lysosome fragmentation during re-activation. However, depending on the ROS species or mode of production, lysosome dynamics were affected distinctly. H2O2 impaired lysosome motility and reduced lysosome fusion with phagosomes, suggesting that H2O2 reduces lysosome fusogenecity. In comparison, inhibitors of oxidative phosphorylation, glutathione, and thioredoxin that produce superoxide, did not impair lysosome motility but instead promoted clearance of actin puncta on lysosomes formed during PIKfyve inhibition. Additionally, actin depolymerizing agents prevented lysosome coalescence during PIKfyve inhibition. Thus, we discovered that ROS can generally prevent lysosome coalescence during PIKfyve inhibition using distinct mechanisms depending on the type of ROS.

cell biology↗