IntroductionMacrophages are essential elements of innate immunity that orchestrate inflammatory reactions and immune tolerance as well as healing processes and tissue homeostasis. Macrophages perform these functions by the tightly regulated production of cytokines, enzymes, extracellular matrix (ECM) components, and other mediators. Alternatively, macrophages may also bind and internalize these molecules, thereby contributing to their inactivation and degradation. The high specificity and flexibility of this clearance function are based on the expression of multiple endocytic receptors by macrophages. 1 The molecular patterns of macrophage secretory and clearance functions are regulated by the activation status and the polarization of the macrophages involved. [2][3][4] Besides the classic, constitutively operating ER/Golgi secretory pathway, which is regulated primarily on the level of gene expression, macrophages use nonclassic 5 and lysosomal secretory pathways. [6][7][8] The lysosomal secretion route is regulated by specific sorting of newly synthesized products into secretory lysosomes and by stimulus-dependent vesicular/membrane biogenesis. 9 Constitutive sorting of soluble cargo proteins from the Golgi to the endosomal/ lysosomal system is mediated by mannose 6-phosphate receptors CD-MPR and CI-MPR, 2 major sorting receptors in numerous cell types. 10,11 Cell-type-specific mechanisms for the selective delivery of cargo proteins to lysosomes, however, have hitherto remained elusive. Recently, we have presented evidence for the hypothesis that Th2-polarized macrophages use specific, stimulus-dependent mechanisms for protein delivery from the Golgi compartments to the endosomal/lysosomal system, where the selection of the cargo is mediated by stabilin-1. 12 Stabilin-1 is a type 1 transmembrane receptor previously identified by us that shows a unique cell and tissue distribution. 13,14 Stabilin-1 is a marker for alternative macrophage activation 2 ; it is expressed by specialized tissue macrophages in placenta, skin, gut, and pancreas; in cardiac and skeletal muscle; and by sinusoidal endothelial cells in liver, spleen, bone marrow, and lymph nodes. 2,15 In vitro, the expression of stabilin-1 can be induced in monocytederived macrophages by stimulation with interleukin-4 (IL-4) and dexamethasone, but not interferon ␥ (IFN␥). Stabilin-1 functions as an endocytic receptor in endothelial cells and macrophages; its ligand repertoire, however, differs from that of its closest homolog, stabilin-2. 12,16 While stabilin-2 has been shown to be a specialized scavenger receptor of sinusoidal endothelial cells mediating uptake of hyaluronic acid, AGE, and procollagen peptides, the only well-established ligand for stabilin-1 to date is acLDL. 17,18 In addition to endocytosis/recycling, stabilin-1 is involved in trafficking between early/sorting endosomes and the trans-Golgi network 12 in human macrophages. Shuttling of stabilin-1 between For personal use only. on March 26, 2019. by guest www.bloodjournal.org From the bios...

Stabilin-1 and stabilin-2 constitute a novel family of fasciclin domain-containing hyaluronan receptor homologues recently described by us. Whereas stabilin-1 is expressed in sinusoidal endothelial cells and in macrophages in vivo, stabilin-2 is absent from the latter. In the present study, we analyzed the subcellular distribution of stabilin-1 in primary human macrophages. Using flow cytometry, expression of stabilin-1 was demonstrated on the surface of interleukin-4/dexamethasone-stimulated macrophages (MPhi2). By immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy, we established that stabilin-1 is preferentially localized in early endosome antigen-1-positive early/sorting endosomes and in recycling endosomes identified by transferrin endocytosis. Association of stabilin-1 was infrequently seen with p62 lck ligand-positive late endosomes and with CD63-positive lysosomes but not in lysosome-associated membrane protein-1-positive lysosomes. Stabilin-1 was also found in the trans-Golgi network (TGN) but not in Golgi stack structures. Glutathione S-transferase pull-down assay revealed that the cytoplasmic tail of stabilin-1 but not stabilin-2 binds to recently discovered Golgi-localized, gamma-ear-containing, adenosine 5'-diphosphate-ribosylation factor-binding (GGA) adaptors GGA1, GGA2, and GGA3 long, mediating traffic between Golgi and endosomal/lysosomal compartments. Stabilin-1 did not bind to GGA3 short, which lacks a part of the Vps27p/Hrs/STAM domain. Deletion of DDSLL and LL amino acid motifs resulted in decreased binding of stabilin-1 with GGAs. A small portion of stabilin-1 colocalized with GGA2 and GGA3 in the TGN in MPhi2. Treatment with brefeldin A resulted in accumulation of stabilin-1 in the TGN. Our results suggest that stabilin-1 is involved in the GGA-mediated sorting processes at the interface of the biosynthetic and endosomal pathways; similarly to other GGA-interacting proteins, stabilin-1 may thus function in endocytic and secretory processes of human macrophages.

Alternatively activated (M2) macrophages regulate immune responses and tissue remodelling. In many tissues including placenta, M2 express stabilin-1, a multidomain protein that exerts a dual role as a scavenger receptor for acetylated low density lipoprotein (acLDL) and SPARC (secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine) and as an intracellular cargo carrier for SI-CLP. Using yeast two-hybrid screening, we identified the developmental hormone placental lactogen (PL) as a novel ligand of stabilin-1. In Chinese hamster ovary-stabilin-1 cells and M2, FACS and confocal microscopy demonstrated that stabilin-1 mediates internalization and endosomal sorting of PL. In M2 macrophages, PL was partially degraded in lysosomes; part of PL escaped degradation and was delivered to novel PL+ storage vesicles lacking endosomal/lysosomal markers. During formation, PL+ vesicles underwent transient interaction with the trans-Golgi network (TGN). Upon placement of PL-loaded M2 into PL-free medium, PL was secreted into the supernatant. Leupeptin, an inhibitor of lysosomal hydrolases, reduced PL degradation, enhanced sorting of PL into the TGN/storage vesicle pathway and increased PL secretion. Thus, processing of PL in M2 macrophages occurs either by the classical lysosomal pathway or by a novel TGN-associated trans-secretory pathway. Macrophages isolated from human placental villi efficiently endocytosed PL-FITC and transported it to the storage vesicles. Our data show that extracellular PL levels are determined by uptake, degradation, storage, and release in M2. During pregnancy PL concentration reaches 10 μg/ml in maternal circulation and stays below 0.5 μg/ml in fetal circulation. We propose that stabilin-1-positive macrophages determine the difference in PL levels between maternal and fetal circulation.