Nucleotides released by apoptotic cells act as a find-me signal for phagocytic clearance

Phagocytic removal of apoptotic cells occurs efficiently in vivo such that even in tissues with significant apoptosis, very few apoptotic cells are detectable 1 . This is thought to be due to the release of find-me signals by apoptotic cells that recruit motile phagocytes such as monocytes, macrophages, and dendritic cells, leading to the prompt clearance of the dying cells 2 . However, the identity and in vivo relevance of such find-me signals are not well understood. Here, through several lines of evidence, we identify extracellular nucleotides as a critical apoptotic cell find-me signal. We demonstrate the caspase-dependent release of ATP and UTP (in equimolar quantities) during the early stages of apoptosis by primary thymocytes and cell lines. Purified nucleotides at these concentrations were sufficient to induce monocyte recruitment comparable to apoptotic cell supernatants. Enzymatic removal of ATP and UTP (by apyrase or ectopic CD39 expression) abrogated the ability of apoptotic cell supernatants to recruit monocytes in vitro and in vivo . We then identified the ATP/UTP receptor P2Y 2 as a critical sensor of nucleotides released by apoptotic cells using RNAi depletion studies in monocytes, and macrophages from P2Y 2 -null mice 3 . The in vivo relevance of nucleotides in apoptotic cell clearance was revealed by two approaches. First, in a murine air-pouch model, apoptotic cell supernatants induced a three-fold greater recruitment of monocytes and macrophages compared to supernatants from healthy cells; this recruitment was abolished by depletion of nucleotides and significantly decreased in P2Y 2 −/− mice. Second, clearance of apoptotic thymocytes was significantly impaired by either depletion of nucleotides or interference with P2Y receptor function (by pharmacological inhibition, or in P2Y 2 −/− mice). These results identify nucleotides as a critical find-me cue released by apoptotic cells to promote P2Y 2 -dependent phagocyte recruitment, and provide strong evidence for a clear relationship between a find-me signal and efficient corpse clearance in vivo .