Fig. 2.

TAM receptor-mediated engulfment of apoptotic cells. (A) Axl^−/−Tyro3^−/−Gas6^−/− NIH 3T3 (TKO) cells were infected by lentiviruses carrying the cDNA for mAxl, mMer, or mTyro3, and stable transformants were established. NIH 3T3, TKO, and TKO transformants expressing the indicated mTAM receptor were analyzed by Western blotting with an anti-mAxl, anti-mMer, anti-mTyro3, or anti–α-tubulin Ab. (B) TKO cells and their derivatives were incubated with pHrodo-apoptotic thymocytes in DMEM containing 5 mg/mL BSA and the indicated concentration of mProS or mGas6, and analyzed by flow cytometry for pHrodo. The experiments were performed in triplicate, and the average percentage of pHrodo⁺ cells was plotted with SD (bar) as efferocytosis.