Kidney injury molecule–1 is a phosphatidylserine receptor that confers a phagocytic phenotype on epithelial cells
J. Clin. Invest. Takaharu Ichimura, et al. 118:1657 doi:10.1172/JCI34487 [Go to this article.]

Figure 2
Primary cultured kidney epithelial cells express Kim-1 and phagocytose apoptotic cells by a Kim-1–dependent mechanism. (A) Following coculture with apoptotic thymocytes, Kim-1–positive (Kim-1+) (red with blue nuclei [N]) but not Kim-1–negative (Kim-1–) (blue nuclei only [n]) epithelial cells show avid binding (arrowheads) and internalization of fluorescently labeled apoptotic thymocytes (green and blue) (arrows). Note marked ring enhancement of phagosomes with Kim-1, and Kim-1 at the phagocytic cup of bound apoptotic cells. (B) Image of primary cultured rat epithelial cells all expressing cytokeratin (green) but showing heterogenous expression of Kim-1 (red). Scale bars: 10 μm. (C) The number of apoptotic cells bound or phagocytosed per 100 Kim-1–positive or 100 Kim-1–negative epithelial cells following coculture with labeled apoptotic cells and washing to remove bound cells. Note Kim-1–positive cells show avid phagocytosis. **P < 0.001. (D) Phagocytic index (number apoptotic cells/100 phagocytes) of Kim-1–positive primary epithelial cell cultures pretreated with monoclonal anti-rat Kim-1 affinity purified antibodies (15 μg/ml) followed by coculture with labeled apoptotic cells. Epithelial cells were lifted from plates and single epithelial cells in suspension scored for phagocytic index. Note that anti–Kim-1 antibodies directed at the extracellular domain block phagocytosis when compared with cells preincubated with isotype control antibodies. *P < 0.01.