CD14 and apoptosis

In addition to its role as a mediator of innate pro-inflammatory responses following bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) binding, the 55kDa glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol-linked macrophage plasma membrane glycoprotein CD14 is now also known to play a role in phagocytic clearance of apoptotic cells. Although apoptotic cell-associated ligand(s) for CD14 await definition, initial findings suggest that ligand binding occurs close to, or at the same site as, LPS binding. Significantly, in contrast to LPS clearance and in keeping with the non-phlogistic nature of apoptosis, CD14-dependent engulfment of apoptotic cells fails to elicit pro-inflammatory cytokine release from macrophages. Therefore CD14 may be regarded as an innate immune receptor both for microbial products—after binding which activates inflammatory responses—and for self components, which either fail to induce, or alternatively actively suppress, inflammatory responses. Here we review current knowledge of the structure and functions of CD14, its ligands, its possible modes of signal transduction and its place in the panoply of macrophage molecules implicated in apoptotic-cell clearance.