Macropinocytosis – when cells are just gulping it down
Recently macropinocytosis has gotten a lot of attention for its varied functions in nutrition absorption, immunological surveillance, viral and cancer pathologies. Macropinocytosis is one of the central mechanisms by which cells take up extracellular materials. Macropinocytosis allows cells to eat and drink by ingesting both fluid and nutrients from the external milieu.
Fast Facts:
- Macropinocytosis is a signal-dependent process that occurs in most cells upon stimulation with a growth factor (e.g., CSF-1, EGF, PDGF) or tumor-promoting factor (e.g., PMA).
- Macrophages and dendritic cells use constitutively macropinocytosis to sample their environment for antigens.
- Certain viruses and bacteria exploit macropinocytosis to enter host cells and spread infection.
Please take a look at our latest infographic on micropinocytosis and see Enzo’s solutions (cell viability, cytotoxicity assay, calcium mobilization, ROS detection, compound libraries for neuromodulator screening) to study macropinocytosis in physiology, disease, and therapy.
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