Lung macrophages utilize unique cathepsin K-dependent phagosomal machinery to degrade intracellular collagen
Abstract
Resident tissue macrophages are organ-specialized phagocytes responsible for the maintenance and protection of tissue ho-meostasis. It is well established that tissue diversity is reflected by the heterogeneity of resident tissue macrophage origin and phenotype.
However, much less is known about tissue-specific phagocytic and proteolytic macrophage functions. Here, using a quantitative proteomics approach, we identify cathepsins as key determinants of phagosome maturation in primary peritoneum-, lung-, and brain-resident macrophages.
The data further uncover cathepsin K (CtsK) as a molecular marker for lung phagosomes required for intracellular protein and collagen degradation. Pharmacological blockade of CtsK activity diminished phag-osomal proteolysis and collagenolysis in lung-resident mac-rophages.
Furthermore, profibrotic TGF-beta negatively regulated CtsK-mediated phagosomal collagen degradation indepen-dently from classical endocytic-proteolytic pathways. In humans, phagosomal CtsK activity was reduced in COPD lung macrophages and non-COPD lung macrophages exposed to cig-arette smoke extract.
Taken together, this study provides a comprehensive map of how peritoneal, lung, and brain tissue environment shapes phagosomal composition, revealing CtsK as a key molecular determinant of lung phagosomes contributing to phagocytic collagen clearance in lungs.