| Summary: | 博士 === 長庚大學 === 生物醫學研究所 === 101 === Surface expression of PS occurs in apoptotic cells and non-apoptotic macrophages and appears to be related to the acquisition of the ability to engulf PS-positive target cells. However, it is poorly understood how PS expression on phagocytes is regulated and contributes to engulfment of apoptotic cells. It is also unclear how apoptosis and caspase activation leads to PS externalization. In this thesis, I report several exciting findings, which will provide important conceptual advances in understanding the molecular mechanisms controlling PS expression on apoptotic cells and phagocytes. In addition to, I reported the novel and totally unexpected finding that the C. elegans CED-8 protein is cleaved and activated by CED-3 caspase during apoptosis to promote apoptosis, PS externalization, and phagocytosis. Therefore, my finding identifies the long missing link between caspase activation and PS externalization, which triggers phagocytosis of apoptotic cells.
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