Fig 7. The AC-induced Crq expression is regulated by the Bfc-Srp pathway.

The basal Bfc expression remains at relatively low levels in the absence of ACs. However, in the presence of ACs, during efferocytosis, bfc expression is transcriptionally upregulated earlier than crq, and Bfc interacts with the GATA factor Srp to facilitate latter’s binding to the crq promoter. In turn, increased Crq levels likely enhance the ability of macrophages to engulf ACs and lead to the upregulated expression of Bfc via a positive feedback loop.