Mutant mice deficient in milk fat globule—EGF factor8 (lactadherin), liver X receptor transcription factor alpha/beta,peroxisome proliferator activator receptor transcription factorgamma, and proto-oncogene c-mer tyrosine kinase (MerTK) differedfrom wild-type controls and varied in their contribution touptake in bone marrow, spleen, and liver. Annexin A1 and Timd4were also utilized to determine tissue-specific dynamics andexpression of different phagocytic mediators. Gene expressionanalysis demonstrated preservation of distinct core signatures,but phagocytosis imprinted a distinct anti-inflammatory profile,upregulation of CD163 and of CD206, the macrophage mannosereceptor, and decrease of the pro-inflammatory expression of IL-1beta. Expression of CD206 made it possible to identify phagocyticmacrophages in the steady state in the absence of experimentalmanipulation. Clearance activity confirmed the diurnal rhythmof neutrophil turnover. Several interesting aspects of this studyrequire further study: the role of variation in apoptotic rate inneutrophils, the impact of non-circulating apoptotic cells,