Study Reveals How Cell Mechanics Regulate Trogocytosis, a Process Where Cells Consume Fragments of Other Cells
Researchers have identified a membrane-tube-mediated mechanism by which adherent cells perform trogocytosis, the process of one cell ingesting fragments of another. The study found that trogocytic uptake peaks at an intermediate level of target cell stiffness, following a non-monotonic relationship with viscoelastic properties. These findings have implications for understanding how parasites like Entamoeba histolytica invade tissue and how macrophages interact with tumor cells.
A new preprint study published on bioRxiv describes a detailed mechanistic framework for trogocytosis in adherent cells, a process in which one cell nibbles and ingests membrane fragments from another. Using a monolayer-based assay, the researchers broke the process into four sequential stages: contact, membrane tubulation, stretching, and scission. A central finding is that trogocytic output does not simply increase or decrease with target cell stiffness; instead, uptake is maximized at an intermediate mechanical regime, suggesting a non-monotonic dependence on viscoelastic properties. The team integrated live-cell imaging with a viscoelastic theoretical model to explain how membrane tubes break under different mechanical conditions. Additionally, micropatterning experiments showed that the geometric shape of the target cell influences how quickly trogocytosis proceeds. The work is relevant to pathological contexts such as Entamoeba histolytica infection and macrophage-tumor interactions, where trogocytosis plays a role in tissue invasion and immune surveillance.
What's missing
As a preprint, this study has not yet undergone formal peer review, so findings should be interpreted with caution. The study does not address whether the identified mechanical thresholds translate to in vivo conditions or vary across different cell types and disease states. It is also unclear whether pharmacological or physiological modulation of cell stiffness in living organisms could be used to therapeutically target trogocytosis.
What different sources said
- bioRxivCenter
Cell Mechanics Regulate Membrane Tubulation-Driven Trogocytosis in Adherent Cells
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