MURINE M-PHI SCAVENGER RECEPTOR - ADHESION FUNCTION AND EXPRESSION

In the absence of divalent cations M phi lose their spread morphology but remain adherent to tissue culture treated plastic. We have exploit ed this property of M phi adhesion in vitro, to isolate a rat monoclon al 2F8, which totally inhibits the divalent cation-independent adhesio n of M phi to tissue culture treated plastic and is partly responsible for the trypsin-resistant adhesion of M phi to the same substratum. I mmunoprecipitation from macrophages and stably transfected Chinese Ham ster Ovary Cells revealed that the antigen recognised by monoclonal an tibody 2F8 is identical to the murine macrophage scavenger receptor. M acrophage scavenger receptors are trimeric integral membrane glycoprot eins which have been implicated in various macrophage functions includ ing uptake of oxidised lipoprotein and the formation of foam cells in atherosclerotic lesions. We have used monoclonal antibody 2F8 to explo re the expression of murine macrophage scavenger receptor in lymphoid and non-lymphoid organs of the normal adult mouse and to examine the c ontribution of macrophage scavenger receptor to macrophage adhesion wi thin tissues.