The scavenger receptor SCARA1 (CD204) recognizes dead cells through spectrin

Abstract

We also found that macrophages can internalize dead cells or debris from both erythrocytes and other cells through the interaction between SCARA1 and spectrin, suggesting that SCARA1 could function as a scavenging receptor that recognizes dead cells. These results suggest that spectrin, which is one of the major components of the cytoskeleton, acts as a cellular marker that enables the recognition of dead cells by the immune system.