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Gene signatures reflect the marked heterogeneity of tissue‐resident macrophages
Author(s) -
Gorgani Nick N,
Ma Yan,
Clark Hilary F
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
immunology and cell biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.999
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1440-1711
pISSN - 0818-9641
DOI - 10.1038/sj.icb.7100131
Subject(s) - biology , phagocytosis , macrophage , microbiology and biotechnology , spleen , antigen presentation , innate immune system , function (biology) , adipose tissue macrophages , peritoneum , antigen , gene , immunology , gene expression , immune system , adipose tissue , in vitro , genetics , anatomy , t cell , endocrinology , white adipose tissue
Tissue‐resident macrophages play an important role in defense against pathogens and perform key functions in organ homeostasis, innate and adaptive immunity. Tissue macrophages originate from blood monocytes that infiltrate virtually every organ in the body. Macrophages in different tissues share many characteristics, including their ability to migrate, phagocytose particles, metabolize lipids and present antigens. Morphologically they are quite heterogeneous, and some distinct functions have been reported. The gene expression profile of macrophages is reflective of both their shared and distinct biological functions. Here, we show that macrophages from murine spleen, liver and peritoneum display dramatically different expression profiles. Clusters of genes were found to represent unique biological functions related to adhesion, antigen presentation, phagocytosis, lipid metabolism and signal transduction. Some gene families, such as integrins, are differentially expressed among the macrophages resident in different tissues, suggesting that the tissue of residence influences their biological function.