Tim4 enables large peritoneal macrophages to cross-present tumor antigens at early stages of tumorigenesis

Abstract

Receptors controlling the cross-presentation of tumor antigens by macrophage subsets in cancer tissues are poorly explored. Here, we show that TIM4⁺ large peritoneal macrophages efficiently capture and cross-present tumor-associated antigens at early stages of peritoneal infiltration by ovarian cancer cells. The phosphatidylserine (PS) receptor TIM4 promotes maximal uptake of dead cells or PS-coated artificial targets and triggers inflammatory and metabolic gene programs in combination with cytoskeletal remodeling and upregulation of transcriptional signatures related to antigen processing. At the cellular level, TIM4-mediated engulfment induces nucleation of F-actin around nascent phagosomes, delaying the recruitment of vacuolar ATPase, acidification, and cargo degradation. In vivo, TIM4 deletion blunts induction of early anti-tumoral effector CD8 T cells and accelerates the progression of ovarian tumors. We conclude that TIM4-mediated uptake drives the formation of specialized phagosomes that prolong the integrity of ingested antigens and facilitate cross-presentation, contributing to immune surveillance of the peritoneum.

Keywords: CP: Cancer; CP: Immunology; Tim4; cross-presentation; large peritoneal macrophages; ovarian cancer; phagocytosis; tissue resident macrophages; tumor antigens; tumor specific CD8 T cells.