M-CSF-induced macropinocytosis increases solute endocytosis but not receptor-mediated endocytosis in mouse macrophages

Although coated vesicles can mediate both solute and receptor-mediated endocytosis, there are other kinds of endocytic vesicles that contribute to these processes. The relative contributions of these other organelles, particularly regarding solute influx, remains unsettled. Here we describe a physiological uncoupling of solute and receptor-mediated endocytosis that occurs during growth factor-stimulated macropinocytosis. We examined how recombinant human macrophage colony-stimulating factor (rM-CSF), which rapidly stimulates solute endocytosis in murine bone marrow-derived macrophages, affected ligand internalization via receptor-mediated endocytosis. Although rM-CSF stimulated internalization and accumulation of Lucifer Yellow (LY), a probe for solute endocytosis, it had no effect on accumulation of fluorescent acetylated low-density lipoprotein (acLDL), a ligand for the macrophage scavenger receptor, or on the endocytosis of 125I-labelled diferric transferrin. Video microscopy revealed that rM-CSF immediately induced active cell ruffling and the formation of phase-bright macropinosomes. Nocodazole pretreatment of macrophages inhibited both ruffling and macropinocytosis. Macropinosomes were fluorescently labelled by incubating macrophages briefly with probes for both solute endocytosis (fluorescent dextrans) and ligand endocytosis (fluorescein-labelled transferrin or diI-labelled acLDL). Macrophages incubated for one or two minutes formed macropinosomes that were labelled predominantly with the fluorescent solute probes but with little or none of the ligand probes; the latter were localized within smaller pinosomes. When cells pulsed with the fluorescent probes were washed and chased for an additional two minutes, solute and ligand probes occasionally co-localized in macropinosomes. Nocodazole inhibited macropinocytosis with little apparent effect on endocytosis via smaller vesicles. These experiments show that macropinosome formation is dependent on microtubules and also that the macropinosomes induced by rM-CSF are solute-rich and receptor-poor. Macropinosomes differ from coated vesicles in these respects, and therefore provide a physiologically regulated mechanism for uncoupling solute and receptor-mediated endocytosis.