Journal Article

Analysis of the immune response to sciatic nerve injury identifies efferocytosis as a key mechanism of nerve debridement

Passino, Ryan, Kawaguchi, Riki, Segal, Benjamin M, Giger, Roman J, Hafner, Hannah, Hollis, Edmund, Huffman, Lucas D, Geschwind, Daniel H, Carbajal, Kevin S, Johnson, Craig, Duncker, Patrick C, Jara, Juan Sebastian, Kalinski, Ashley L, Kohen, Rafi, Yoon, Choya

2020

Overview

Sciatic nerve crush injury triggers sterile inflammation within the distal nerve and axotomized dorsal root ganglia (DRGs). Granulocytes and pro-inflammatory Ly6C high monocytes infiltrate the nerve first and rapidly give way to Ly6C negative inflammation-resolving macrophages. In axotomized DRGs, few hematogenous leukocytes are detected and resident macrophages acquire a ramified morphology. Single-cell RNA-sequencing of injured sciatic nerve identifies five macrophage subpopulations, repair Schwann cells, and mesenchymal precursor cells. Macrophages at the nerve crush site are molecularly distinct from macrophages associated with Wallerian degeneration. In the injured nerve, macrophages ‘eat’ apoptotic leukocytes, a process called efferocytosis, and thereby promote an anti-inflammatory milieu. Myeloid cells in the injured nerve, but not axotomized DRGs, strongly express receptors for the cytokine GM-CSF. In GM-CSF-deficient ( Csf2 -/- ) mice, inflammation resolution is delayed and conditioning-lesion-induced regeneration of DRG neuron central axons is abolished. Thus, carefully orchestrated inflammation resolution in the nerve is required for conditioning-lesion-induced neurorepair.

• Publisher: eLife Science Publications, Ltd,eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd,eLife Sciences Publications Ltd
• Subject: Analysis / Animals / Apoptosis / axon regeneration / Cells, Cultured / conditioning lesion / Cytokine Receptor Common beta Subunit - genetics / Cytokine Receptor Common beta Subunit - metabolism / Disease Models, Animal / dorsal root ganglia / efferocytosis / Female / Ganglia, Spinal - immunology / Ganglia, Spinal - metabolism / Ganglia, Spinal - pathology / Gene Expression Regulation / Gene Regulatory Networks / Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor - genetics / Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor - metabolism / Immune response / Inflammation / Inflammation Mediators - metabolism / Leukocytes - immunology / Leukocytes - metabolism / Leukocytes - pathology / Macrophages / Macrophages - immunology / Macrophages - metabolism / Macrophages - pathology / Male / Mice, Inbred C57BL / Mice, Knockout / Monocytes - immunology / Monocytes - metabolism / Nerve Regeneration / Neuronal Outgrowth / Neuroscience / Peripheral Nerve Injuries - genetics / Peripheral Nerve Injuries - immunology / Peripheral Nerve Injuries - metabolism / Peripheral Nerve Injuries - pathology / Phagocytosis / Receptors, Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor - genetics / Receptors, Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor - metabolism / Sciatic Nerve - immunology / Sciatic Nerve - injuries / Sciatic Nerve - metabolism / Sciatic Nerve - pathology / sciatic nerve injury / scRNA sequencing / Signal Transduction