Macropinocytosis
Macropinocytosis - Related Videos
06:47
High-throughput Measurement of Dictyostelium discoideum Macropinocytosis by Flow Cytometry
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Cited by 8 •
2018
Macropinocytosis, large-scale non-specific fluid uptake, is important in many areas of clinical biology including immunology, infection, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases. Here, existing techniques have been adapted to allow high-throughput, single-cell resolution measurement of macropinocytosis in the macropinocytosis model organism Dictyostelium discoideum using flow cytometry.
08:31
Fluorescence Microscopy for ATP Internalization Mediated by Macropinocytosis in Human Tumor Cells and Tumor-xenografted Mice
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Cited by 3 •
2021
We developed a reproducible method to visualize the internalization of nonhydrolyzable fluorescent adenosine triphosphate (ATP), an ATP surrogate, with high cellular resolution. We validated our method using independent in vitro and in vivo assays-human tumor cell lines and immunodeficient mice xenografted with human tumor tissue.
18:57
Models and Methods to Evaluate Transport of Drug Delivery Systems Across Cellular Barriers
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Cited by 58 •
2013
Many therapeutic applications require safe and efficient transport of drug carriers and their cargoes across cellular barriers in the body. This article describes an adaptation of established methods to evaluate the rate and mechanism of transport of drug nanocarriers (NCs) across cellular barriers, such as the gastrointestinal (GI) epithelium.
06:58
Quantification of Membrane Ruffle Formation Using Scanning Electron Microscopy
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2025
This video demonstrates sample preparation, fixation, and imaging of a macrophage cell that displays membrane ruffles using scanning electron microscopy, SEM. Detailed information about membrane morphology and organization is crucial for understanding the physiological condition of the cells.
FAQs
Actin remodeling first pushes the plasma membrane outward into ruffles. When those ruffles fold back and seal against the cell surface, they trap extracellular fluid in a macropinosome. The vesicle then progresses through the endosomal system, where maturation can culminate in lysosomal fusion and degradation. This sequence links uptake to intracellular processing.
Nonselective capture allows a cell to internalize fluid and many dissolved molecules together rather than choosing one molecule at the cell surface. That property makes macropinocytosis relevant when cells need environmental information or accessible nutrients. It also connects uptake with signaling, because the internalized material reflects the surrounding extracellular environment rather than a single selected molecule.
After formation, a macropinosome does not remain an isolated surface compartment. It matures through the endosomal system and may fuse with lysosomes, where its contents can be degraded. This downstream handling helps explain how the pathway can support nutrient use and signaling while also directing some internalized material toward intracellular breakdown.
In medicine, the process provides a framework for understanding how immune cells sample their surroundings and how pathogens can enter host cells. These represent different consequences of the same uptake route: environmental sampling relates to immune-cell function, whereas pathogen entry connects macropinocytosis with host-pathogen biology. The pathway therefore links normal cellular activity with infectious disease research.
Cancer cells may use this uptake route to acquire nutrients when the surrounding environment is nutrient-poor. This makes macropinocytosis relevant to disease biology because access to extracellular fluid and dissolved molecules can support cellular needs under adverse conditions. Studying the pathway may help clarify how nutrient availability contributes to cancer-cell survival and behavior.
Researchers are investigating whether macropinocytosis can help cells internalize therapeutic or immunizing material. Its ability to bring extracellular fluid and dissolved molecules into the cell makes it a potential entry route for delivery designs. These studies must also consider how the material is handled after uptake, including its progression through endosomal compartments and possible lysosomal degradation.