| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
Blood, 15 February 2006, Vol. 107, No. 4, pp. 1643-1650. Prepublished online as a Blood First Edition Paper on October 20, 2005; DOI 10.1182/blood-2005-06-2509.
PHAGOCYTES
Integrin
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract |
|---|
|
|
|---|
D
2, the most recently discovered member of the
2 subfamily of integrin adhesion receptors, is up-regulated on macrophage foam cells. Although other members of the subfamily have been subjects of extensive research, the recognition specificity and the molecular basis for
D
2 ligand binding remain unknown. Based on the high extent of structural homology between
D
2 and the major myeloid-cell-specific integrin
M
2 (Mac-1), noted for its capacity to bind multiple ligands, we considered that the 2 integrins have similar recognition specificity. In this study, using recombinant and natural
D
2-expressing cells, we demonstrate that
D
2 supports adhesion and migration to many extracellular matrix proteins in a fashion similar to
M
2. Consistent with these data, the recombinant
DI-domain of the receptor bound selected ligands. The binding was activation-dependent because the
DI-domain with its C-terminal
7 helix truncated, but not the form with the C-terminal part extended, bound ligands. When the
DI-domain segment Lys244-Lys260 (highly homologous to its
MI-domain counterpart Lys245-Arg261 responsible for
M
2 multiligand-binding properties) was inserted into the mono-specific
LI-domain, the chimeric protein bound many ligands with affinities similar to those of wild-type
DI-domain. These results establish integrin
D
2 as a multiligand receptor and indicate that the mechanism whereby
D
2 exhibits broad ligand specificity resembles that used by
M
2, the most promiscuous member of the integrin family. | Introduction |
|---|
|
|
|---|
/
heterodimeric adhesion receptors that mediate cell-cell and cell-extracellular-matrix (ECM) interactions. The subfamily of
2 integrins comprises a monophyletic group of closely related glycoproteins critically involved in leukocyte adhesion and migration during the inflammatory immune responses. The group consists of 4 members,
L
2 (LFA-1, CD11a/CD18),
M
2 (Mac-1, CD11b/CD18),
X
2 (p150,95, CD11c/CD18), and
D
2 (CD11d/CD18). These integrins are assembled as a group on the basis of their common
2 subunit and their expression restricted to leukocytes. Whereas structure-function relationships of 3 integrins,
L
2,
M
2, and
X
2, have been the subjects of intensive research, the ligand-binding specificity and pathophysiologic roles of the most recently discovered integrin
D
21 are poorly understood. Like 2 other highly related
2 integrins,
M
2 and
X
2, integrin
D
2 is expressed on myeloid cells such as monocytes and neutrophils. However, the pattern of expression of this integrin is unique among other myeloid cell-specific
2 integrins in that
D
2 is expressed poorly on peripheral blood leukocytes but strongly on macrophage foam cells within atherosclerotic plaques.1,2 In contrast, the major myeloid-specific integrin
M
2 is progressively up-regulated on circulating neutrophils and monocytes in response to chemotactic stimulation3,4 and is down-regulated in lesion-derived macrophages.5 The significance of the up-regulation of
D
2 in monocyte-derived cells from atherosclerotic lesions is not known. The role of high levels of
D
2 in these cells may become clear if the ligands with which this integrin interacts are defined. Previous studies demonstrated that
D
2 is capable of binding vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1)6,7 and intercellular adhesion molecule 3 (ICAM-3).1 VCAM-1 is present on endothelial cells and, thus, clearly absent from the extravascular compartment in which formation of foam cells occurs. ICAM-3 is present on lymphocytes that are detectable in atherosclerotic lesions (for a review, see Getz8). However, recruitment of monocytes into atherogenic foci and their retention within lesions would require cell interactions with their surroundings. Yet, essentially nothing is known about the interaction of
D
2 with the ECM proteins.
It is well documented that the interactions of
2 integrins with ligands are mediated by their I-domains, the regions of about 180 amino acid residues inserted into the
-propeller of
subunits.9 The
DI-domain is highly homologous to the
MI-domain with 60% of its amino acid sequence being identical. A distinctive feature of integrin
M
2 is its ability to bind numerous structurally diverse ligands, including many ECM proteins (reviewed in part by Yakubenko et al10). We have previously demonstrated that within the
MI-domain, the
M(Lys245-Arg261) segment contributes to the binding of many ligands.10 This segment forms the (
D-
5)-loop/
5-helix in the 3-dimensional structure of the
MI-domain11 and is the site of the major structure and sequence divergence between the
MI-domain and the
LI-domain, an integrin with a narrow ligand-binding specificity and that binds only ICAMs.12 We have noted that the
MI-domain region
M(Lys245-Arg261) and its homolog, Lys244-Lys260 in the
DI-domain, have 59% identical and 12% conserved residues (Figure 1). Furthermore, 4 residues in the
M sequence, Asp248, Tyr252, Asp254, and Pro257, which were shown to be critical for ligand binding by
M
2,13,14 are present in the
DI-domain. Given these similarities, we hypothesized that
D
2 and
M
2 have overlapping recognition specificity and that the region in the
DI-domain homologous to
M(Lys245-Arg261) is involved in ligand binding.
In the present study, we have examined the molecular basis for ligand binding by integrin
D
2. We have generated
D
2-expressing cells and demonstrated that they are capable of binding many ECM proteins with specificity overlapping that of
M
2, a finding that places
D
2 into the category of multiligand receptors. Furthermore, we have shown that the mechanism whereby
D
2 exhibits promiscuity in ligand binding is like that used by
M
2.
| Materials and methods |
|---|
|
|
|---|
Human fibrinogen was obtained from Enzyme Research Laboratories (South Bend, IN). Fibronectin was isolated from fresh human plasma by gelatin-agarose affinity chromatography.15 Vitronectin was isolated from outdated plasma treated with 8 M urea using heparin-agarose affinity chromatography.16 Plasminogen was purified from human plasma using lysine-agarose affinity chromatography followed by gel filtration as described.17 Recombinant cysteine-rich angiogenic inducer (Cyr61) was a generous gift from Dr S. Lam (University of Illinois, Chicago, IL). VCAM-1 and ICAM-3 were purchased from R&D Systems (Minneapolis, MN). The P2-C peptide (TMKIIPFNRLTIG), corresponding to the fibrinogen sequence
383-395, was synthesized and purified as described.18 The monoclonal antibody (mAb) IB4 directed against the
2-integrin subunit and rat mAb 1/70, which recognizes mouse
M integrin subunit, were purified from the conditioned media of the hybridoma cell line obtained from American Tissue Culture Collection (ATCC; Manassas, VA) using protein A agarose (Amersham Biosciences, Piscataway, NJ). Polyclonal antibody 1950 directed against the
1-integrin subunit was purchased from Chemicon (Temecula, CA). Polyclonal antibody against the
DI-domain was generated by BioSource International (Camarillo, CA) using recombinant
DI-domain as an immunogen. The antibody was isolated from rabbit serum by precipitation with 35% ammonium sulfate and then purified by affinity chromatography using
DI-domain-Sepharose. The polyclonal antibody recognizes both human and mouse
DI-domains and has no cross-reactivity with the
M-integrin subunits (V.P.Y., unpublished data, May 2004). Purified rabbit, mouse, and rat IgG were purchased from Sigma (St Louis, MO).
|
Two recombinant
DI-domains, the "active" and "nonactive," were expressed in Escherichia coli. The cDNA encoding the "active"
DI-domain (residues Pro128-Lys314) was generated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from a randomly primed cDNA library of the U937 monocytoid cell line. A PCR fragment was digested with NdeI and XhoI and inserted into the pET-15b vector (Novagen, Madison, WI). The
DI-domain as a His-tag fusion protein containing 6 His residues at its NH2 terminus was purified from a soluble fraction of E coli lysates using affinity chromatography on Ni-chelating agarose (Qiagen, Valencia, CA). To express the "nonactive"
DI-domain (residues Pro128-Ala323), the cDNA coding this region was amplified from the U937 cell library and inserted into the PGEX-4T-1 vector (Amersham Biosciences) using EcoRI and XhoI sites for expression in E coli BL-21(DE3) pLysS cells. The
DI-domain as a fusion with GST was purified from a soluble fraction of E coli lysates using affinity chromatography on glutathione agarose essentially as described.14 The GST component was removed by cleavage with thrombin as described. The "active"
LI-domain, originally described by Lu et al,19 was prepared using the previously created
L-PGEX4T-1 construct (Gly128-Tyr307)14 as a framework. In the new construct, 2 lysines, Lys287 and Lys294, were substituted to cysteines to create a disulfide bond and, thus, lock the protein in the active conformation. Mutations were introduced using the QuickChange site-directed mutagenesis kit from Stratagene (La Jolla, CA) according to the manufacturer's instructions. The
LI-domain as a fusion with GST was purified from a soluble fraction of E coli using affinity chromatography on glutathione agarose and its fusion part removed by thrombin.
To generate the
L(
DLys244-Lys260) I-domain chimera, the segment corresponding to the
LI-domain sequence Ala242-Asp251 was changed to the homologous segment of the
DI-domain Lys244-Lys260. A segment switch was created by oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis using PCR. The construction of the chimera was based on the observation that oligonucleotide sequence encoding
D Lys244-Lys260 contains a unique restriction site for XbaI. Therefore, designed mutagenic primers contained nucleotide sequence for the
DLys244-Lys260 segment and additional unchanged
L bases: 5'-CCTCTAGAATACAGTGACGTCATCCCCCAGGCAGAGAAGAAAGACATCATCCGCTACATCATC (forward), 5'-GTATTCTAGAGGGTCTTTGTACTTCTCCCCATCCGTGATGATGATAAGCAC (reverse); the
D sequences are in italics and the restriction site for XbaI is underlined. The pGEX-4T-1 vector containing the cDNA encoding the "active"
LI-domain was modified by PCR using PfuTurbo DNA polymerase with the following cycling parameters: 95°C for 30 seconds, 55°C for 1 minute, and 68°C for 11.5 minutes. Following temperature cycling, the product was treated with DpnI to digest the parental DNA template. The linear product was purified and digested with XbaI to produce a cDNA fragment with cohesive ends. These fragments were ligated and transformed into BL-21(DE3)pLysS E coli-competent cells. The accuracy of the DNA sequence was verified by sequencing. The chimeric I-domain as fusion with GST was expressed and purified following the procedure described for the wild-type I-domains.
Cells and stable transfection of integrin subunit constructs
The IC-21 macrophage cell line was obtained from the ATCC (Rockville, MD). Cells were cultured in RPMI-1640 medium (Gibco, Carlsbad, CA) supplemented with 10% FBS, 0.1 mg/mL streptomycin, 0.1 U/mL penicillin, and 2 mM L-glutamine. The
M
2-expressing and mock-transfected HEK 293 cells10 were maintained in DMEM/F-12 (Gibco) supplemented with 10% FBS, 2 mM glutamine, 15 mM HEPES, 0.1 mg/mL streptomycin, and 0.1 U/mL penicillin. The cDNA encoding the
2-integrin subunit was generated as previously described.10 The full-length cDNA of the
D-integrin subunit was cloned from a human U937 monocytoid cell line cDNA library. The library was synthesized from total cellular RNA using SuperScriptII reverse transcriptase (Invitrogen) as described previously.20 The
D cDNA was cloned into pcDNA3.1/Neo(-) vector and the
2 cDNA was cloned into pcDNA3.1/Hygro(-) vector (Invitrogen). HEK 293 cells were stably transfected with pcDNA3.1 plasmids with inserted
D and
2 using LipofectAMINE 2000 reagent (Invitrogen). After 48 hours at 37°C in 5% CO2, cells were harvested and cultured in medium with 500 µg/mL G418 (Invitrogen) and 250 µg/mL Hygromycin (Invitrogen). After 14 days, surviving cells were collected, sorted, and analyzed using flow cytometry and immunoprecipitation.
Flow cytometry
Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analyses were performed to assess the expression of receptors on the surface of the cells transfected with
D
2 integrin. The cells were incubated with anti-
D polyclonal antibody and anti-
2 mAb IB4 and analyzed using a FACScan (Becton Dickinson, San Jose, CA) as described.10 Populations of cells expressing similar amounts of
M
2 and
D
2 were selected by FACS using a BD Biosciences (San Jose, CA) FACS Vantage Instrument.
Immunoprecipitation
Cells (5 x 106) were labeled with 100 µg Immunopure Sulfo-NHS-LC-Biotin (Pierce, Rockford, IL) in 200 µL PBS for 30 minutes at 22°C. The cells were solubilized with a lysis buffer (20 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.4, 150 mM NaCl, 1% Triton X-100, 1 mM CaCl2, 1 mM PMSF, 100 µg/mL leupeptin, 10 mM benzamidine) for 30 minutes at 22°C. The lysates were incubated with 10 µg normal mouse IgG (Sigma) and 50 µL Zysorbin-G (Zymed, San Francisco, CA) for 2 hours at 4°C. After centrifugation, the supernatant was incubated with 10 µg mAb IB4 (anti-
2) for 2 hours at 4°C. The integrin-mAb complex was captured by incubating with 50 µL protein A-Sepharose (Amersham Biosciences) for 2 hours at 4°C. The immunoprecipitated proteins were eluted with sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) loading buffer and analyzed by Western blotting. The Immobilon-P membranes (Millipore, New Bedford, MA) were incubated with streptavidin conjugated to horseradish peroxidase and developed using enhanced SuperSignal Chemiluminescent Substrate (Pierce).
Adhesion and migration assays
For adhesion assays, 96-wells tissue culture plates (Costar, Cambridge, MA) were coated with different concentrations of fibrinogen, fibronectin, vitronectin, plasminogen, Cyr61, and VCAM-1 for 3 hours at 37°C. The wells were post-coated with 0.5% PVA for 1 hour at 22°C. Cells in DMEM/F-12 were labeled with 10 µM calcein AM (Molecular Probes, Eugene, OR) and assays were performed as described previously.10,21
Cell migration assays with calcein-labeled IC-21 cells were performed under sterile conditions using uncoated Transwell inserts with a pore size of 8 µm and 6.5 mm in diameter (Costar, Corning, NY) as described.21 Briefly, the lower chambers contained 600 µL of 10 µg/mL vitronectin. Cells (150 µL) in DMEM/F-12 at a concentration of 2.5 x 106/mL were placed in the upper chamber and allowed to migrate for 18 hours at 37°C in 5% CO2.Two hours prior to the completion of the migration assay, calcein AM was added to the lower chamber to label cells. Assays were stopped by removing cells from the upper surface of the polycarbonate membrane. Cells migrating to the bottom of the filter were detected using a CytoFluorII fluorescence plate reader (Applied Biosystems, Farmington, MA).
Surface plasmon resonance studies
The interaction between the I-domains and various ligands was measured using surface plasmon resonance (SPR) using a Biacore 3000 instrument (Biacore, Uppsala, Sweden). Vitronectin, fibrinogen, fibronectin, Cyr61, plasminogen, VCAM-1, and ICAM-3 were covalently coupled via primary amines, at concentrations ranging between about 1000 and 2000 response units, to the dextran matrix of CM5 sensor chips. Different concentrations of the I-domains in HBS-P buffer (Biacore) supplemented with 1 mM MgCl2 were flowed over cells containing various ligands. All data were corrected for the response obtained using a blank reference flow cell that was activated with EDC/NHS and then blocked with ethanolamine. Steady-state experiments were performed by injecting the analytes at 10 µL/min for 3 minutes. The chip surface was regenerated using 2 M NaCl plus 50 mM NaOH. Data were analyzed using the BIAevaluation 3.1 program (BiaCore, Uppsala, Sweden).
| Results |
|---|
|
|
|---|
D
2
To search for potential
D
2 ligands, we have generated a cell line expressing this integrin. HEK 293 cells were cotransfected with the wild-type
D and
2 and stable transfectants were established. FACS analyses using antibodies specific for the integrin subunits demonstrated similar levels of expression of
D and
2 (Figure 2A). Heterodimer association of the integrin was evaluated by immunoprecipitation of detergent-lysed surface-labeled cells (Figure 2B). Anti-
2-specific mAb IB4 immunoprecipitated both the
D (molecular weight [MW], 150 kDa) and
2 (MW, 100 kDa) subunits from cells, indicating that they are associated on the cell surface.
To test the possibility that the recognition specificity of
D
2 overlaps with that of the related integrin
M
2, we have investigated the ability of the
D
2-expressing cells to adhere to several EMC proteins that represent well-characterized
M
2 ligands. These included: (1) the ECM proteins fibronectin, vitronectin, and fibrinogen, and (2) the proteins Cyr61 and plasminogen, which are overexpressed or become ECM-associated during the inflammatory responses.22,23 Furthermore, cell adhesion to VCAM-1 was tested because it represents an established
D
2 ligand.1 Additionally, cell adhesion to the fibrinogen P2-C peptide, which duplicates the binding site for
M
2 in fibrinogen24 and contains the generic recognition information required for
M
2 binding,25 was examined. Naked plastic, which typifies the ability of
M
2 to stick to many unrelated proteins, was also tested. Figure 3 illustrates that the
D
2-expressing HEK 293 cells adhered to wells coated with all selected ligands and that comparable levels of
D
2- and
M
2-expressing HEK 293 cells attached to each protein. In this figure, maximal cell adhesion to each ligand is shown as obtained from the dose-dependent curves, and the data are expressed as a percentage of added cells.
D
2 supported efficient adhesion to vitronectin, fibronectin, Cyr61, plasminogen, and P2-C similar to
M
2.
D
2-mediated adhesion to fibrinogen was slightly lower than that mediated by
M
2. By contrast, the
D
2-expressing cells adhered better to uncoated plastic than the
M
2-expressing cells. Because cells expressing similar levels of
D
2 and
M
2 were used in these experiments, the difference in adhesion may reflect a stronger affinity of
D
2 to plastic. In control experiments, mock-transfected HEK 293 cells adhered poorly to fibrinogen, Cyr61, and plasminogen, as expected.18,26,27 These cells adhered to a lower extent to fibronectin,21 vitronectin, and VCAM-1, consistent with the presence of endogenous
1 integrins (see next paragraph).
|
|
1 group21 and that are known to bind the ECM proteins. For example, integrin
5
1 binds fibronectin,28
4
1 mediates adhesion to VCAM-1,29,30 and
6
1 was shown recently to bind Cyr61.31 To determine the contribution of
1 integrins to adhesion mediated by the
D
2-expressing HEK 293 cells, we performed adhesion experiments in the presence of anti-
1, anti-
D, and anti-
2 function-blocking antibodies. As shown in Figure 4, no inhibition of adhesion by anti-
1 polyclonal antibody to Cyr61, fibrinogen, vitronectin, plasminogen, P2-C, and uncoated plastic (not shown) was detected, suggesting that cell attachment to these substrates was entirely
D
2-dependent. In agreement with these results, anti-
D polyclonal antibody blocked cell adhesion to these proteins by about 90% (except vitronectin, to which it blocked adhesion by 55%). Nevertheless, the combination of anti-
1 and anti-
D (or anti-
1 plus anti-
2) antibodies completely blocked cell adhesion to vitronectin. In contrast, anti-
1 antibody inhibited adhesion to fibronectin and VCAM-1 by about 50% to 55%, indicating that endogenous
5
1 and
4
1, respectively, on the
D
2-expressing cells contribute to adhesion. At the same time, anti-
D alone was a poor inhibitor of cell adhesion; it did not inhibit adhesion to fibronectin and produced only about 15% inhibition of cell adhesion to VCAM-1. However, the combination of anti-
1 and either anti-
D or anti-
2 antibodies effectively inhibited cell adhesion to these ligands, illustrating the contribution of
D
2. Neither control rabbit nor mouse IgG inhibited cell adhesion (not shown). Taken together, these observations indicate that
D
2 is capable of engaging many ECM proteins during cell adhesion and suggest that the recognition specificity of
D
2 is similar to that exhibited by
M
2.
Further evidence for the similarity of ligand specificity of integrins
D
2 and
M
2 was obtained in inhibition experiments using soluble peptide P2-C. We previously reported that P2-C inhibits
M
2-mediated cell adhesion not only to the
C domain of fibrinogen, from which this sequence is derived, but also to other fibrinogen domains32 and to many unrelated proteins (Valeryi Lishko, unpublished data, June 2002).27,33 P2-C was also an effective inhibitor of
D
2-mediated cell adhesion to vitronectin, fibrinogen, plasminogen, and VCAM-1 (Table 1). Whereas cell adhesion to fibronectin and Cyr61 was less sensitive to inhibition, it was blocked by a combination of P2-C and anti-
1 antibody. These results clearly show that within ECM proteins,
D
2 binds sequences that contain recognition information resembling that of the
M
2 recognition peptide P2-C.
|
D
2 on macrophages mediates adhesion and migration to various ECM proteins
To extend our findings with transfected cells, we examined the ability of macrophage cell line IC-21 to bind various ECM proteins. As assessed by flow cytometry analyses (Figure 5A), unstimulated cultured cells express both integrins
M
2 and
D
2, with the latter receptor being expressed at a slightly higher level (1.3-fold). IC-21 cells adhered strongly and in a concentration-dependent manner to various ECM proteins (not shown). To determine a relative contribution of the integrins on macrophages to this adhesion process, we examined the effect of antibodies directed against anti-
M and anti-
D integrin subunits. Table 2 shows that individual antibodies exerted partial inhibition of adhesion. However, the combination of 2 antibodies effectively inhibited adhesion to selected ECM proteins by 45% to 65%. In parallel experiments, natural macrophages elicited by thioglycollate injection and isolated from the mouse peritoneal cavities efficiently adhered to the ECM proteins in an
D
2-dependent manner and no inhibition of adhesion by control rabbit or rat IgG was detected (not shown).
|
|
M
2 is capable of promoting leukocyte migration to several ECM proteins, including fibrinogen and fibronectin.21,34 To examine whether
D
2 can support leukocyte migration, we have examined the ability of vitronectin, as a representative ECM protein, to mediate migration of IC-21 cells. As shown in Figure 5B, cells efficiently migrated toward vitronectin and this process depended on both
D
2 and
M
2 because anti-
D polyclonal antibody and anti-
M mAb M1/70 blocked the response.
|
DI-domain mediates ligand binding
We next sought a molecular basis for ligand recognition by
D
2. Because the I-domain is responsible for ligand binding in other integrins, and in cell adhesion studies polyclonal antibodies raised against the recombinant
DI-domain inhibited cell adhesion, we examined the ability of the isolated
DI-domain to interact with various proteins. Furthermore, because previous studies demonstrated that the length of the C-terminal
7 helix regulates the activation state of the
MI-domain35 and based on the homology between the
MI- and
DI-domains, we have produced 2 recombinant proteins. The first, "active"
DI-domain, encompasses residues Pro128-Lys314 and the second, "nonactive," spans the Pro128-Ala323 sequence. The
DI-domains were expressed in E coli and purified from soluble fractions of cell lysates (Figure 6). The capacity of
DI-domains to bind selected ECM proteins and other ligands was tested using SPR. The protein ligands were coupled to the chip, and the SPR profiles across a range of the
DI-domain concentrations flowed over protein surfaces were determined. A representative set of SPR sensograms for binding of the active
DI-domain to vitronectin immobilized on the CM5 chip is shown in Figure 7. The maximal responses achieved at equilibrium for each
DI-domain concentration (Figure 7 inset) were used to determine the dissociation constant (Kd). The active
DI-domain bound to all ligands tested, with Kd values in the range between about 0.3 to 8 µM (Table 3). It is noteworthy that the
DI-domain bound ICAM-3 and VCAM-1, its 2 established ligands.1,6 Among proteins tested, Cyr61 appears to exhibit the highest affinity for the active
DI-domain (Kd 0.29 ± 0.07 µM). No binding of the nonactive
DI-domain was detected.
|
|
DI-domain is responsible for ligand recognition
We previously reported that the
MI-domain sequence Lys245-Arg261 is involved in binding of many unrelated ligands by
M
2 and, thus, defines its multiligand binding properties.10 The high extent of homology between
M(Lys245-Arg261) and the
DI-domain sequence Lys244-Lys260 (Figure 1) suggests that the latter segment may be involved in recognition of multiple ligands by
D
2. To investigate the role of this segment, we generated a chimeric protein in which the
D(Lys244-Lys260) was grafted into the corresponding position of the
LI-domain, the most closely related I-domain but one that does not bind many ligands. To exclude the possibility that this manipulation may cause activation of the chimeric protein enabling it to bind ligands with unusual specificity, the
LI-domain was expressed in the fixed active conformation. In this protein, originally described by Lu et al,19 Lys287 and Lys294 in the C-terminal part of the
LI-domain were substituted to Cys, which resulted in the protein, on the formation of the disulfide bond, being locked in a constitutively active conformation. The
D(Lys244-Lys260) segment was inserted into the framework of this active
LI-domain. The control
L- and chimeric I-domains were purified from E coli lysates and were homogeneous as assessed by SDS-PAGE (Figure 6). The ligand-binding properties of isolated proteins were compared by SPR. No binding of the control
LI-domain to all proteins tested, except its ligand ICAM-3,36 was detected. In contrast, the chimeric I-domain was capable of binding various ligands immobilized to the surfaces of CM5 chips. The Kd values of interactions between the chimera and different proteins, as determined from the equilibrium portions of the SPR sensograms, were found to be in the range of about 1 to 8 µM (Table 3). Thus, the insertion of the
DI-domain segment changed the specificity of the
LI-domain and converted it into the
DI-domain-binding protein. Although it did not impart the full binding activity, the affinities of ligands for the chimeric protein were comparable with those found with the wild-type
DI-domain. For example, Cyr61 was the most preferred ligand for the chimera. Thus, these data demonstrate that the Lys244-Lys260 segment within the
DI-domain is largely responsible for its multiligand-binding properties.
|
| Discussion |
|---|
|
|
|---|
D
2. The following conclusions are drawn form these analyses: (1)
D
2 is capable of binding proteins that are either the constituents of the ECM, such as fibronectin, or become ECM-associated during the inflammatory response, including fibrinogen, vitronectin, Cyr61, and plasminogen; (2) within
D
2, the
DI-domain is responsible for its ligand binding function; and (3) the
DI-domain segment Lys244-Lys260 contributes to binding of multiple ligands. Thus, these studies identify the new ligands for
D
2 and establish this integrin as a multiligand receptor. They also provide insights into the mechanism by which this integrin is capable of recognizing unrelated proteins.
The important finding of this study is that the recognition specificity of
D
2 closely resembles that exhibited by the major leukocyte integrin
M
2 (Mac-1). Among integrin family members,
M
2 has the broadest specificity and has the capacity to bind multiple ligands that belong to different protein families. Protein ligands for
M
2 include numerous ECM proteins (fibronectin, laminin, collagen, Cyr61), blood proteins (fibrinogen, kininogen, C3bi, factor X), proteases (elastase, plasminogen, MMP-9), and so forth. Based on the overlapping specificities of
M
2 and
D
2 in recognition of many ECM proteins, it is reasonable to assume that
D
2 is capable of interacting with many other
M
2 ligands. For example, the finding that
D
2-expressing cells adhere to plastic, which represents a hallmark of
M
2, lend further support to the idea that both integrins have very similar binding properties.
Ligand binding by the
DI-domain was found to be regulated by its conformation; whereas the
DI-domain with its C-terminus truncated (Pro128-Lys314) was active, the protein with an extended C-terminal end (Pro128-Ala323) manifested negligible ligand binding. Regulation of ligand binding by the C-terminal part has been described for the I-domains of other
2 integrins, including
L
2,
M
2, and
X
2.19,35,37 The high-affinity form of the
MI-domain can be generated by unlocking the C-terminal Ile316 from a hydrophobic socket either by mutation or truncation the
7 C-terminal helix at Lys315.35 The fact that the
DI-domain contains an invariable Ile in the 311LKEKIFA317 sequence, which is highly homologous to the
M 312LREKIFA318, and the observation that truncation of the
DI-domain at Lys314 converts it into the active form, suggest that the
DI-domain undergoes conformational changes similar to those of the
MI-domain. The I-domains of the
M,
L, and
X subunits have been crystallized in both "open" and "closed" conformations that correspond to the high- and low-affinity states, respectively.37-39 Although the 3-dimensional structure of the
DI-domain is not solved, its high homology to
M and
X I-domains and similar regulation of ligand binding by conformation of the C-terminus suggests that the
DI-domain can exist in the "open" and "closed" conformations. Thus, our findings with the I-domain of
D
2 supports the general mechanism by which the
2 integrins are activated.
We have previously demonstrated the
M segment Lys245-Arg261 is involved in binding of many unrelated ligands and thus serves as a consensus recognition site.10 A homologous segment in the
DI-domain, Lys244-Lys,260 was found to fulfill a parallel function. Grafting this segment into the corresponding position of the
LI-domain imparted to the chimeric protein the ability to bind numerous ECM proteins and plastic. The binding activity of the chimeric I-domain, based on the estimated Kd, was only 2- to 3-fold lower than that of the wild-type
DI-domain, indicating that
D (Lys244-Lys260) is centrally involved in recognition of various ligands. Nevertheless, because grafting of the
D segment did not restore the binding function completely, other regions of the
DI-domain could contribute to binding. Taken together, the
D
2 characteristics, including promiscuity in ligand binding, regulation of ligand binding by conformation of the C-terminal portion of the
DI-domain, and the role of the highly conserved
D(Lys244-Lys260) segment as a consensus docking site, closely recapitulate the properties of
M
2.
Because the
D
2-expressing cells adhered to the fibrinogen P2-C peptide and soluble P2-C inhibited cell adhesion to the ECM proteins, these observations are consistent with the conclusion that the structural features of ligands permissive for their binding by
D
2 and
M
2 are similar. The P2-C peptide duplicates sequence 383TMKIIPFNRLTIG395, which is the binding site for
M
2 in the
C-domains of fibrinogen.18,24 Because P2-C inhibits
M
2-mediated cell adhesion not only to fibrinogen but also to other ligands,27,33 it is believed that this peptide contains critical structural information required for
M
2 binding. Furthermore, the results presented here suggest that recognition of multiple ligands by the
DI-domain may also depend on sequences typified by P2-C. However, despite the requirements for the "P2-C"-like recognition component and the overall similarity in the ligand repertoire, some proteins appear to be preferred
M
2 ligands, whereas others are recognized better by
D
2. For example, the capacity of fibrinogen to support
M
2-mediated adhesion was higher than that of
D
2 (Figure 3) and recombinant
MI-domain bound more strongly to fibrinogen than the
DI-domain (not shown). On the other hand, Cyr61 was superior to all other ligands in binding by the
DI-domain (Table 3) and its binding by the
DI-domain was about 2-fold higher than by the
MI-domain (not shown). At present, the critical determinants responsible for differential binding by
D and
M I-domains remain to be determined.
On
D
2-expressing HEK293 cells, both
D
2 and
1 integrins contribute to adhesion to selected ECM proteins. We found that cell adhesion to fibronectin, vitronectin, and VCAM-1 could be blocked only by the combination of anti-
1 and anti-
D (or anti-
2) antibodies. Indeed, fibronectin and VCAM-1 are well-characterized ligands for
1 integrins
5
1 and
4
1, respectively. Moreover, integrin
v
1 on HEK293 cells can bind both vitronectin and fibronectin. Previously, we have demonstrated the same contribution of
1 integrins to adhesion of the
M
2-expresing cells.21 In contrast, adhesion of the
D
2-expressing cells to such proteins as fibrinogen, Cyr61, and plastic was entirely
D
2 dependent with little contribution from
1 integrins. Although integrins
5
1 and
6
1 have been shown to bind fibrinogen and Cyr61, respectively,31,40 both proteins appear to be the preferred ligands for
D
2 on the
D
2-expressing cells.
The finding that
D
2 and
M
2 have analogous recognition specificity suggests that they may fulfill a common function. Our previous studies with integrin
M
2 provided insights into how the
M
2 ability to bind ECM proteins may control cell migration and adhesion. We demonstrated that the progressive increase of
M
2 on the cell surface led to increased adhesion to fibronectin and, as a consequence, inhibited cell migration mediated by
1 integrins.21 Based on these studies, we proposed that owing to the nonselective nature of
M
2 binding to ECM proteins and its ability to be progressively up-regulated on the surface of neutrophils,
M
2 serves as a brake in neutrophil migration at the site of inflammation. Given the similarity in the ligand-binding profiles of
M
2 and
D
2, one is tempted to speculate that
D
2 can perform similar functions. The observations that
D
2 is strongly up-regulated within atherosclerotic plaques and that its levels are gradually increased on monocyte differentiation to macrophages in the presence of oxidized LDL,2 the major mediator of atherosclerosis, seem to fit this hypothesis. However, a marked distinction between
M
2 and
D
2 is that
M
2 expression in neutrophils involves translocation of the integrin from pre-existing internal pools in response to chemotactic stimuli,41 whereas
D
2 up-regulation requires de novo synthesis in the presence of atherogenic stimuli.2 Such a difference in up-regulation of 2 integrins seems to be consistent with a model in which
M
2 is readily available in the acute inflammatory response, whereas
D
2 may be required for chronic inflammation. A recent report suggests that not only the recruitment of monocytes, but also their retention within atherosclerotic lesions, contributes to plaque development.42 Whether integrin
D
2 increases monocyte adhesiveness and thus contributes to their retention in the evolving plaque remains to be established.
In summary, these studies establish leukocyte integrin
D
2 as a multiligand receptor capable of binding diverse ECM proteins with a specificity overlapping that of
M
2, the most promiscuous member of the integrin family. Given the capacity of
M
2 to initiate a multitude of cellular responses in neutrophils, one can expect that
D
2 plays important roles in monocyte/macrophage biology.
| Acknowledgements |
|---|
| Footnotes |
|---|
Prepublished online as Blood First Edition Paper, October 20, 2005; DOI 10.1182/blood-2005-06-2509.
Supported by the National Institutes of Health (T.P.U.) and the American Heart Association (T.P.U. and V.P.Y.). The Biacore 3000 was purchased through a Shared Instrumentation Grant RR016789-01A1 from the National Institutes of Health.
V.P.Y. and T.P.U. designed research, V.P.Y. performed research, S.P.Y. contributed to analyses of Biacore data, and V.P.Y. and T.P.U. wrote the article.
The publication costs of this article were defrayed in part by page charge payment. Therefore, and solely to indicate this fact, this article is hereby marked "advertisement" in accordance with 18 U.S.C. section 1734.
Reprints: Tatiana P. Ugarova, Department of Molecular Cardiology (M/C NB-50), Cleveland Clinic Foundation, 9500 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44195; e-mail: ugarovt{at}ccf.org.
| References |
|---|
|
|
|---|
d
2, binds preferentially to ICAM-3. Immunity. 1995;3: 683-690.[CrossRef][Medline]
[Order article via Infotrieve]
M
2 in ligand binding promiscuity. J Biol Chem. 2002;277: 48635-48642.
subunit of integrin CR3 (CD11b/CD18). Cell. 1995;80: 631-638.[CrossRef][Medline]
[Order article via Infotrieve]
2 integrins and intercellular adhesion molecule type 1 in inflammation. In: Granger DN and Schid-Schlobein GW, eds. Physiology and Pathophysiology of Leukocyte Adhesion. New York, NY: Oxford University Press; 1995: 3-42.
M
2 that differentially affect a divalent cation-dependent conformation. J Biol Chem. 1995;270: 25866-25871.
383-395 within the
MI-domain of integrin
M
2. J Biol Chem. 2001;275: 13995-14003.
M
2 within the gamma-chain of fibrinogen. J Biol Chem. 1998;273: 22519-22527.
L
2 is sufficient for strong adhesive function when locked in the open conformation with a disulfide bond. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2001;98: 2387-2392.
4
1-mediated adhesion to VCAM-1 and the CS-1 peptide of fibronectin. Exp Cell Res. 2000; 260: 73-84.[CrossRef][Medline]
[Order article via Infotrieve]
M
2 and
5
1 during cell migration to fibronectin. Exp Cell Res. 2003;283: 116-126.[CrossRef][Medline]
[Order article via Infotrieve]
190-202(P1), is the binding site for the
MI-domain of integrin
M
2 in the
C-domain of fibrinogen. Biochemistry. 2003;42: 9365-9373.[CrossRef][Medline]
[Order article via Infotrieve]
M
2 as an adhesion receptor on peripheral blood monocytes for Cyr61 and connective tissue growth factor, immediate-early gene products expressed in atherosclerotic lesions. Blood. 2002;99: 4457-4465.
M
2(Mac-1) and
5
1(VLA-5). Blood. 2004;104: 719-726.
EC domain of human fibrinogen-420 is a novel ligand for leukocyte integrins
M
2 and
X
2. Blood. 2001;98: 2448-2455.
M
2 binding site in CCN1 (CYR61), a matricellular protein expressed in healing wounds and atherosclerotic lesions. J Biol Chem. 2003;278: 25808-25815.
M
2-mediated cell migration to fibrinogen and its recognition peptides. J Exp Med. 2001;193: 1123-1133.
X
2 integrin I domain. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2003;100: 1873-1878.
5
1 on endothelial cells. J Biol Chem. 1997;272: 5360-5366.This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
W. M. McKillop, J. W. Barrett, S. H. Pasternak, B. M. C. Chan, and G. A. Dekaban The extracellular domain of CD11d regulates its cell surface expression J. Leukoc. Biol., October 1, 2009; 86(4): 851 - 862. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
S. R. Barthel, M. W. Johansson, D. M. McNamee, and D. F. Mosher Roles of integrin activation in eosinophil function and the eosinophilic inflammation of asthma J. Leukoc. Biol., January 1, 2008; 83(1): 1 - 12. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
Y. Miyazaki, M. Bunting, D. M. Stafforini, E. S. Harris, T. M. McIntyre, S. M. Prescott, V. S. Frutuoso, F. C. Amendoeira, D. de Oliveira Nascimento, A. Vieira-de-Abreu, et al. Integrin {alpha}D 2 Is Dynamically Expressed by Inflamed Macrophages and Alters the Natural History of Lethal Systemic Infections J. Immunol., January 1, 2008; 180(1): 590 - 600. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
V. K. Lishko, T. Burke, and T. Ugarova Antiadhesive effect of fibrinogen: a safeguard for thrombus stability Blood, February 15, 2007; 109(4): 1541 - 1549. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Copyright © 2006 by American Society of Hematology Online ISSN: 1528-0020 | |||||||||