Moesin regulates neutrophil rolling velocity in vivo

During inflammation, the selectin-induced slow rolling of neutrophils on venules cooperates with chemokine signaling to mediate neutrophil recruitment into tissues. Previous studies identified P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1) and CD44 as E-selectin ligands that activate integrins to induce slow rolling. We show here that in TNF-α-treated cremaster muscle venules, slow leukocyte rolling was impaired in mice deficient in moesin, a member of the ezrin-radixin-moesin (ERM) family. Accordingly, neutrophil recruitment in a peritonitis model was decreased in moesin-deficient mice when chemokine signaling was blocked with pertussis toxin. These results suggest that moesin contributes to the slow rolling and subsequent recruitment of neutrophils during inflammation.