Are you an EPFL student looking for a semester project?
Work with us on data science and visualisation projects, and deploy your project as an app on top of Graph Search.
Concept
Scavenger receptor (immunology)
Summary
Scavenger receptors are a large and diverse superfamily of cell surface receptors. Its properties were first recorded in 1970 by Drs. Brown and Goldstein, with the defining property being the ability to bind and remove modified low density lipoproteins (LDL). Today scavenger receptors are known to be involved in a wide range of processes, such as: homeostasis, apoptosis, inflammatory diseases and pathogen clearance. Scavenger receptors are mainly found on myeloid cells and other cells that bind to numerous ligands, primarily endogenous and modified host-molecules together with pathogen-associated molecular patterns(PAMPs), and remove them. The Kupffer cells in the liver are particularly rich in scavenger receptors, includes SR-A I, SR-A II, and MARCO.
The scavenger receptor superfamily is defined by its ability to recognize and bind a broad range of common ligands. These ligands include: polyanionic ligands including lipoproteins, apoptotic cells, cholesterol ester, phospholipids, proteoglycans, ferritin, and carbohydrates. This broad recognition range allows scavenger receptors to play an important role in homeostasis and the combating of diseases. This is accomplished via the recognition of various PAMP's and DAMP's, which leads to the removal or scavenging of pathogens with the recognition of PAMP's and the removal of apoptotic cells, self reactive antigens and the products of oxidative stress with the recognition of DAMP's.
In atherosclerotic lesions, macrophages that express scavenger receptors on their plasma membrane take up the oxidized LDL deposited in the blood vessel wall aggressively, and develop into foam cells. Likewise, they secrete various inflammatory cytokines and accelerate the development of atherosclerosis.
Scavenger receptors are incredibly diverse and therefore, organized into many different classes, starting at A and continuing to L. This organization is based on their structural properties. Due to the diversity and ongoing research into scavenger receptors, the receptors lack an accepted nomenclature and have been described under different names.
About this result
This page is automatically generated and may contain information that is not correct, complete, up-to-date, or relevant to your search query. The same applies to every other page on this website. Please make sure to verify the information with EPFL's official sources.