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Pontejo SM, Martinez S, Zhao A, Barnes K, de Anda J, Alimohamadi H, Lee EY, Dishman AF, Volkman BF, Wong GCL, Garboczi DN, Ballesteros A, Murphy PM. Chemokines Kill Bacteria by Binding Anionic Phospholipids without Triggering Antimicrobial Resistance. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.25.604863. [PMID: 39091850 PMCID: PMC11291121 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.25.604863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
Classically, chemokines coordinate leukocyte trafficking during immune responses; however, many chemokines have also been reported to possess direct antibacterial activity in vitro. Yet, the bacterial killing mechanism of chemokines and the biochemical properties that define which members of the chemokine superfamily are antimicrobial remain poorly understood. Here we report that the antimicrobial activity of chemokines is defined by their ability to bind phosphatidylglycerol and cardiolipin, two anionic phospholipids commonly found in the bacterial plasma membrane. We show that only chemokines able to bind these two phospholipids kill Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus and that they exert rapid bacteriostatic and bactericidal effects against E. coli with a higher potency than the antimicrobial peptide beta-defensin 3. Furthermore, our data support that bacterial membrane cardiolipin facilitates the antimicrobial action of chemokines. Both biochemical and genetic interference with the chemokine-cardiolipin interaction impaired microbial growth arrest, bacterial killing, and membrane disruption by chemokines. Moreover, unlike conventional antibiotics, E. coli failed to develop resistance when placed under increasing antimicrobial chemokine pressure in vitro. Thus, we have identified cardiolipin and phosphatidylglycerol as novel binding partners for chemokines responsible for chemokine antimicrobial action. Our results provide proof of principle for developing chemokines as novel antibiotics resistant to bacterial antimicrobial resistance mechanisms.
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2
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Garg P, Würtz F, Hobbie F, Buttgereit K, Aich A, Leite K, Rehling P, Kügler S, Bähr M. Human serum-derived α-synuclein auto-antibodies mediate NMDA receptor-dependent degeneration of CNS neurons. J Neuroinflammation 2024; 21:62. [PMID: 38419079 PMCID: PMC10902935 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-024-03050-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Presence of autoantibodies against α-synuclein (α-syn AAb) in serum of the general population has been widely reported. That such peripheral factors may be involved in central nervous system pathophysiology was demonstrated by detection of immunoglobulins (IgGs) in cerebrospinal fluid and brain of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. Thus, blood-borne IgGs may reach the brain parenchyma through an impaired blood-brain barrier (BBB). FINDINGS The present study aims to evaluate the patho-physiological impact of α-syn AAbs on primary brain cells, i.e., on spontaneously active neurons and on astrocytes. Exposure of neuron-astrocyte co-cultures to human serum containing α-syn AAbs mediated a dose-dependent reduction of spontaneous neuronal activity, and subsequent neurodegeneration. Removal specifically of α-syn AAbs from the serum prevented neurotoxicity, while purified, commercial antibodies against α-syn mimicked the neurodegenerative effect. Mechanistically, we found a strong calcium flux into neurons preceding α-syn AAbs-induced cell death, specifically through NMDA receptors. NMDA receptor antagonists prevented neurodegeneration upon treatment with α-syn (auto)antibodies. α-syn (auto)antibodies did not affect astrocyte survival. However, in presence of α-syn, astrocytes reacted to α-syn antibodies by secretion of the chemokine RANTES. CONCLUSION These findings provide a novel basis to explain how a combination of BBB impairment and infiltration of IgGs targeting synuclein may contribute to neurodegeneration in PD and argue for caution with α-syn immunization therapies for treatment of PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pretty Garg
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Waldweg 33, 37073, Göttingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence "Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells" (MBExC), University of Göttingen, 37073, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Franziska Würtz
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Waldweg 33, 37073, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Fabian Hobbie
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Waldweg 33, 37073, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Klemens Buttgereit
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Waldweg 33, 37073, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Abhishek Aich
- Cluster of Excellence "Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells" (MBExC), University of Göttingen, 37073, Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Cellular Biochemistry, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Kristian Leite
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Waldweg 33, 37073, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Peter Rehling
- Cluster of Excellence "Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells" (MBExC), University of Göttingen, 37073, Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Cellular Biochemistry, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Sebastian Kügler
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Waldweg 33, 37073, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Mathias Bähr
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Waldweg 33, 37073, Göttingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence "Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells" (MBExC), University of Göttingen, 37073, Göttingen, Germany
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3
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van Stevendaal MME, Hazegh Nikroo A, Mason AF, Jansen J, Yewdall NA, van Hest JCM. Regulating Chemokine-Receptor Interactions through the Site-Specific Bioorthogonal Conjugation of Photoresponsive DNA Strands. Bioconjug Chem 2023; 34:2089-2095. [PMID: 37856672 PMCID: PMC10655040 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.3c00390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 09/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Oligonucleotide conjugation has emerged as a versatile molecular tool for regulating protein activity. A state-of-the-art labeling strategy includes the site-specific conjugation of DNA, by employing bioorthogonal groups genetically incorporated in proteins through unnatural amino acids (UAAs). The incorporation of UAAs in chemokines has to date, however, remained underexplored, probably due to their sometimes poor stability following recombinant expression. In this work, we designed a fluorescent stromal-derived factor-1β (SDF-1β) chemokine fusion protein with a bioorthogonal functionality amenable for click reactions. Using amber stop codon suppression, p-azido-L-phenylalanine was site-specifically incorporated in the fluorescent N-terminal fusion partner, superfolder green fluorescent protein (sfGFP). Conjugation to single-stranded DNAs (ssDNA), modified with a photocleavable spacer and a reactive bicyclononyne moiety, was performed to create a DNA-caged species that blocked the receptor binding ability. This inhibition was completely reversible by means of photocleavage of the ssDNA strands. The results described herein provide a versatile new direction for spatiotemporally regulating chemokine-receptor interactions, which is promising for tissue engineering purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marleen
H. M. E. van Stevendaal
- Laboratory
of Bio-Organic Chemistry, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute
for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven
University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Arjan Hazegh Nikroo
- Laboratory
of Bio-Organic Chemistry, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute
for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven
University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Alexander F. Mason
- School
of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Jitske Jansen
- Department
of Pathology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - N. Amy Yewdall
- School
of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, 8041 Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Jan C. M. van Hest
- Laboratory
of Bio-Organic Chemistry, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute
for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven
University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
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4
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McKenna S, Aylward F, Miliara X, Lau RJ, Huemer CB, Giblin SP, Huse KK, Liang M, Reeves L, Pearson M, Xu Y, Rouse SL, Pease JE, Sriskandan S, Kagawa TF, Cooney J, Matthews S. The protease associated (PA) domain in ScpA from Streptococcus pyogenes plays a role in substrate recruitment. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2023; 1871:140946. [PMID: 37562488 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2023.140946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Annually, over 18 million disease cases and half a million deaths worldwide are estimated to be caused by Group A Streptococcus. ScpA (or C5a peptidase) is a well characterised member of the cell enveleope protease family, which possess a S8 subtilisin-like catalytic domain and a shared multi-domain architecture. ScpA cleaves complement factors C5a and C3a, impairing the function of these critical anaphylatoxins and disrupts complement-mediated innate immunity. Although the high resolution structure of ScpA is known, the details of how it recognises its substrate are only just emerging. Previous studies have identified a distant exosite on the 2nd fibronectin domain that plays an important role in recruitment via an interaction with the substrate core. Here, using a combination of solution NMR spectroscopy, mutagenesis with functional assays and computational approaches we identify a second exosite within the protease-associated (PA) domain. We propose a model in which the PA domain assists optimal delivery of the substrate's C terminus to the active site for cleavage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie McKenna
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Frances Aylward
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Xeni Miliara
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Rikin J Lau
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Camilla Berg Huemer
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Sean P Giblin
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Kristin K Huse
- Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, UK; Centre for Bacterial Resistance Biology, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Mingyang Liang
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Lucy Reeves
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Max Pearson
- Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - Yingqi Xu
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Sarah L Rouse
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - James E Pease
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Shiranee Sriskandan
- Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, UK; Centre for Bacterial Resistance Biology, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Todd F Kagawa
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland; Bernal Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
| | - Jakki Cooney
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland; Bernal Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
| | - Stephen Matthews
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus SW7 2AZ, UK; Centre for Bacterial Resistance Biology, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK.
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5
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Giblin SP, Ranawana S, Hassibi S, Birchenough HL, Mincham KT, Snelgrove RJ, Tsuchiya T, Kanegasaki S, Dyer D, Pease JE. CXCL17 binds efficaciously to glycosaminoglycans with the potential to modulate chemokine signaling. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1254697. [PMID: 37942327 PMCID: PMC10628517 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1254697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction CXCL17 is a mucosally secreted protein, and the most recently identified human chemokine, an assignment based on protein fold prediction and chemotactic activity for leukocytes. However, these credentials have been the subject of much recent discussion and no experimental evidence has been presented regarding the definitive structure of CXCL17. In this study, we evaluated the structural and chemoattractant credentials of CXCL17 to better characterize this molecule, and gain deeper insights into its functional role as a glycosaminoglycan (GAG) binding protein. Methods In the absence of structural information, in silico modeling techniques assessed the likelihood of CXCL17 adopting a chemokine fold. Recombinant CXCL17 was synthesized in mammalian and prokaryotic systems. Modified Boyden chamber and real-time chemotaxis assays assessed the ability of CXCL17 to promote chemotaxis of murine splenocytes, human neutrophils, and CXCR1 transfectants. The efficacy of CXCL17 binding to GAGs was quantified with solid-phase assays and bio-layer interferometry techniques. Results All modeling efforts failed to support classification of CXCL17 as a chemokine based on its predicted conformation. Recombinant CXCL17 was observed to dimerize as a function of concentration, a characteristic of several chemokines. Contrary to a previous report, CXCL17 was not chemotactic for murine splenocytes, although it was a low-potency chemoattractant for human neutrophils at micromolar concentrations, several orders of magnitude higher than those required for CXCL8. As anticipated owing to its highly basic nature, CXCL17 bound to GAGs robustly, with key C-terminal motifs implicated in this process. While inactive via CXCR1, CXCL17 was found to inhibit CXCR1-mediated chemotaxis of transfectants to CXCL8 in a dose-dependent manner. Discussion In summary, despite finding little evidence for chemokine-like structure and function, CXCL17 readily bound GAGs, and could modulate chemotactic responses to another chemokine in vitro. We postulate that such modulation is a consequence of superior GAG binding, and that C-terminal fragments of CXCL17 may serve as prototypic inhibitors of chemokine function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean P. Giblin
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sashini Ranawana
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Shyreen Hassibi
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Holly L. Birchenough
- Wellcome Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Kyle T. Mincham
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Robert J. Snelgrove
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tomoko Tsuchiya
- Research Institute, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Shinjuku-ku, Japan
| | | | - Douglas Dyer
- Wellcome Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Northern Care Alliance NHS Group, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - James E. Pease
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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6
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Witt RN, Nickel KS, Binns JR, Gray AM, Hintz AM, Kofron NF, Steigleder SF, Peterson FC, Veldkamp CT. NMR indicates the N-termini of PSGL1 and CCR7 bind competitively to the chemokine CCL21. Biochem Biophys Rep 2023; 35:101524. [PMID: 37554427 PMCID: PMC10404610 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrep.2023.101524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 07/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Chemokines are from a family of secreted cytokines that direct the trafficking of immune cells to coordinate immune responses. Chemokines are involved in numerous disease states, including responding to infections, autoimmune disorders, and cancer metastasis. Ther are chemokines, like CCL21, that signal for cellular migration through the activation of G protein-coupled receptors, like CCR7, through interaction with the receptor's extracellular N-terminus, loops, and core of the receptor. CCL21 is involved in routine immune surveillance but can also attract metastasizing cancer cells to lymph nodes. P-selectin glycoprotein ligand 1 (PSGL1) has a role in cellular adhesion during chemotaxis and is a transmembrane signaling molecule. PSGL1 expression enhances chemotactic responses of T cells to CCL21. Here NMR studies indicate the binding sites on CCL21 for the N-termini or PSGL1 and CCR7 overlap, and binding of the N-termini of PSGL1 and CCR7 is competitive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin N. Witt
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, 800 West Main Street, Whitewater, WI, 53190, USA
| | - Kaileigh S. Nickel
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, 800 West Main Street, Whitewater, WI, 53190, USA
| | - John R. Binns
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, 800 West Main Street, Whitewater, WI, 53190, USA
| | - Alexander M. Gray
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, 800 West Main Street, Whitewater, WI, 53190, USA
| | - Alyssa M. Hintz
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, 800 West Main Street, Whitewater, WI, 53190, USA
| | - Noah F. Kofron
- Department of Biology, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, 800 West Main Street, Whitewater, WI, 53190, USA
| | - Steven F. Steigleder
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, 800 West Main Street, Whitewater, WI, 53190, USA
| | - Francis C. Peterson
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
| | - Christopher T. Veldkamp
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, 800 West Main Street, Whitewater, WI, 53190, USA
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7
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Zhou AL, Jensen DR, Peterson FC, Thomas MA, Schlimgen RR, Dwinell MB, Smith BC, Volkman BF. Fragment-based drug discovery of small molecule ligands for the human chemokine CCL28. SLAS DISCOVERY : ADVANCING LIFE SCIENCES R & D 2023:S2472-5552(23)00019-9. [PMID: 36841432 DOI: 10.1016/j.slasd.2023.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
The mucosal chemokine CCL28 is a promising target for immunotherapy drug development due to its elevated expression level in epithelial cells and critical role in creating and maintaining an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Using sulfotyrosine as a probe, NMR chemical shift mapping identified a potential receptor-binding hotspot on the human CCL28 surface. CCL28 was screened against 2,678 commercially available chemical fragments by 2D NMR, yielding thirteen verified hits. Computational docking predicted that two fragments could occupy adjoining subsites within the sulfotyrosine recognition cleft. Dual NMR titrations confirmed their ability to bind CCL28 simultaneously, thereby validating an initial fragment pair for linking and merging strategies to design high-potency CCL28 inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela L Zhou
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin 8701 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Davin R Jensen
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin 8701 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA; Program in Chemical Biology, Medical College of Wisconsin 8701 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Francis C Peterson
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin 8701 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA; Program in Chemical Biology, Medical College of Wisconsin 8701 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Monica A Thomas
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin 8701 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Roman R Schlimgen
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin 8701 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Michael B Dwinell
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical College of Wisconsin 8701 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA; Center for Immunology, Medical College of Wisconsin 8701 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Brian C Smith
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin 8701 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA; Program in Chemical Biology, Medical College of Wisconsin 8701 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Brian F Volkman
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin 8701 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA; Program in Chemical Biology, Medical College of Wisconsin 8701 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA; Center for Immunology, Medical College of Wisconsin 8701 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.
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8
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Brindha S, Yoshizue T, Wongnak R, Takemae H, Oba M, Mizutani T, Kuroda Y. An Escherichia coli Expressed Multi-Disulfide Bonded SARS-CoV-2 RBD Shows Native-like Biophysical Properties and Elicits Neutralizing Antisera in a Mouse Model. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:15744. [PMID: 36555383 PMCID: PMC9779815 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232415744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
A large-scale Escherichia coli (E. coli) production of the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 could yield a versatile and low-cost antigen for a subunit vaccine. Appropriately folded antigens can potentially elicit the production of neutralizing antisera providing immune protection against the virus. However, E. coli expression using a standard protocol produces RBDs with aberrant disulfide bonds among the RBD's eight cysteines resulting in the expression of insoluble and non-native RBDs. Here, we evaluate whether E. coli expressing RBD can be used as an antigen candidate for a subunit vaccine. The expressed RBD exhibited native-like structural and biophysical properties as demonstrated by analytical RP-HPLC, circular dichroism, fluorescence, and light scattering. In addition, our E. coli expressed RBD binds to hACE2, the host cell's receptor, with a binding constant of 7.9 × 10-9 M, as indicated by biolayer interferometry analysis. Our E. coli-produced RBD elicited a high IgG titer in Jcl:ICR mice, and the RBD antisera inhibited viral growth, as demonstrated by a pseudovirus-based neutralization assay. Moreover, the increased antibody level was sustained for over 15 weeks after immunization, and a high percentage of effector and central memory T cells were generated. Overall, these results show that E. coli-expressed RBDs can elicit the production of neutralizing antisera and could potentially serve as an antigen for developing an anti-SARS-CoV-2 subunit vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subbaian Brindha
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Faculty of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Nakamachi, Koganei-shi 184-8588, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takahiro Yoshizue
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Faculty of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Nakamachi, Koganei-shi 184-8588, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Rawiwan Wongnak
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Faculty of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Nakamachi, Koganei-shi 184-8588, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Takemae
- Center for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Prevention Research, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwai-Cho, Fuchu-shi 183-8509, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mami Oba
- Center for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Prevention Research, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwai-Cho, Fuchu-shi 183-8509, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Mizutani
- Center for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Prevention Research, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwai-Cho, Fuchu-shi 183-8509, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yutaka Kuroda
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Faculty of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Nakamachi, Koganei-shi 184-8588, Tokyo, Japan
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9
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Gary EN, Tursi NJ, Warner B, Parzych EM, Ali AR, Frase D, Moffat E, Embury-Hyatt C, Smith TRF, Broderick KE, Humeau L, Kobasa D, Patel A, Kulp DW, Weiner DB. Mucosal chemokine adjuvant enhances synDNA vaccine-mediated responses to SARS-CoV-2 and provides heterologous protection in vivo. Cell Rep Med 2022; 3:100693. [PMID: 35839767 PMCID: PMC9237025 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2022.100693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Revised: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has claimed more than 5 million lives. Emerging variants of concern (VOCs) continually challenge viral control. Directing vaccine-induced humoral and cell-mediated responses to mucosal surfaces may enhance vaccine efficacy. Here we investigate the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of optimized synthetic DNA plasmids encoding wild-type severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein (pS) co-formulated with the plasmid-encoded mucosal chemokine cutaneous T cell-attracting chemokine (pCTACK; CCL27). pCTACK-co-immunized animals exhibit increased spike-specific antibodies at the mucosal surface and increased frequencies of interferon gamma (IFNγ)+ CD8+ T cells in the respiratory mucosa. pCTACK co-immunization confers 100% protection from heterologous Delta VOC challenge. This study shows that mucosal chemokine adjuvants can direct vaccine-induced responses to specific immunological sites and have significant effects on heterologous challenge. Further study of this unique chemokine-adjuvanted vaccine approach in the context of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines is likely important.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ebony N Gary
- The Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Nicholas J Tursi
- The Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Bryce Warner
- Special Pathogens Program, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Elizabeth M Parzych
- The Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ali R Ali
- The Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Drew Frase
- The Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Estella Moffat
- National Center for Foreign Animal Disease (NCFAD), Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Carissa Embury-Hyatt
- National Center for Foreign Animal Disease (NCFAD), Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | | | | | | | - Darwyn Kobasa
- Special Pathogens Program, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, MB, Canada; Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Ami Patel
- The Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Daniel W Kulp
- The Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - David B Weiner
- The Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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10
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Lewandowski EM, Kroeck KG, Jacobs LM, Fenske TG, Witt RN, Hintz AM, Ramsden ER, Zhang X, Peterson F, Volkman BF, Veldkamp CT, Chen Y. Structural Insights into Molecular Recognition by Human Chemokine CCL19. Biochemistry 2022; 61:311-318. [PMID: 35156805 PMCID: PMC9254573 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.1c00759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The human chemokines CCL19 and CCL21 bind to the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) CCR7 and play an important role in the trafficking of immune cells as well as cancer metastasis. Conserved binding sites for sulfotyrosine residues on the receptor contribute significantly to the chemokine/GPCR interaction and have been shown to provide promising targets for new drug-discovery efforts to disrupt the chemokine/GPCR interaction and, consequently, tumor metastasis. Here, we report the first X-ray crystal structure of a truncated CCL19 (residues 7-70) at 2.50 Å resolution, revealing molecular details crucial for protein-protein interactions. Although the overall structure is similar to the previously determined NMR model, there are important variations, particularly near the N terminus and the so-called 30's and 40's loops. Computational analysis using the FTMap server indicates the potential importance of these areas in ligand binding and the differences in binding hotspots compared to CCL21. NMR titration experiments using a CCR7-derived peptide (residues 5-11, TDDYIGD) further demonstrate potential receptor recognition sites, such as those near the C terminus and 40's loop, which consist of both positively charged and hydrophobic residues that may be important for receptor binding. Taken together, the X-ray, NMR, and computational analysis herein provide insights into the overall structure and molecular features of CCL19 and enables investigation into this chemokine's function and inhibitor development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric M. Lewandowski
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, 12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Tampa, Florida 33612, United States
| | - Kyle G. Kroeck
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, 12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Tampa, Florida 33612, United States
| | - Lian M.C. Jacobs
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, 12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Tampa, Florida 33612, United States
| | - Tyler G. Fenske
- Department of Biochemistry and Program in Chemical Biology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226, United States
| | - Robin N. Witt
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin Whitewater, Whitewater, Wisconsin 53190, United States
| | - Alyssa M. Hintz
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin Whitewater, Whitewater, Wisconsin 53190, United States
| | - Elizabeth R. Ramsden
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin Whitewater, Whitewater, Wisconsin 53190, United States
| | - Xiujun Zhang
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, 12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Tampa, Florida 33612, United States
| | - Francis Peterson
- Department of Biochemistry and Program in Chemical Biology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226, United States
| | - Brian F. Volkman
- Department of Biochemistry and Program in Chemical Biology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226, United States,Corresponding authors: Brian F. Volkman, , Christopher T. Veldkamp, , Yu Chen,
| | - Christopher T. Veldkamp
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin Whitewater, Whitewater, Wisconsin 53190, United States,Corresponding authors: Brian F. Volkman, , Christopher T. Veldkamp, , Yu Chen,
| | - Yu Chen
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, 12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Tampa, Florida 33612, United States,Corresponding authors: Brian F. Volkman, , Christopher T. Veldkamp, , Yu Chen,
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11
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A Multi-Disulfide Receptor-Binding Domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Expressed in E. coli Using a SEP-Tag Produces Antisera Interacting with the Mammalian Cell Expressed Spike (S1) Protein. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23031703. [PMID: 35163624 PMCID: PMC8835783 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
An Escherichia coli (E. coli) production of the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 (isolate Wuhan-Hu-1) spike protein would significantly accelerate the search for anti-COVID-19 therapeutics because of its versatility and low cost. However, RBD contains four disulfide bonds and its expression in E. coli is limited by the formation of aberrant disulfide bonds resulting in inclusion bodies. Here, we show that a solubility-enhancing peptide (SEP) tag containing nine arginine residues (RBD-C9R) attached at the C-terminus can overcome this problem. The SEP-tag increased the expression in the soluble fraction and the final yield by five times (2 mg/L). The folding properties of the E. coli expressed RBD-C9R were demonstrated with biophysical characterization using RP-HPLC, circular dichroism, thermal denaturation, fluorescence, and light scattering. A quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) analysis confirmed the binding activity of RBD-C9R with ACE2, the host cell’s receptor. In addition, RBD-C9R elicited a Th-2 immune response with a high IgG titer in Jcl: ICR mice. The RBD-C9R antisera interacted with both itself and the mammalian-cell expressed spike protein (S1), as demonstrated by ELISA, indicating that the E. coli expressed RBD-C9R harbors native-like epitopes. Overall, these results emphasize the potential of our SEP-tag for the E. coli production of active multi-disulfide-bonded RBD.
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12
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Brandum EP, Jørgensen AS, Calvo MB, Spiess K, Peterson FC, Yang Z, Volkman BF, Veldkamp CT, Rosenkilde MM, Goth CK, Hjortø GM. Selective Boosting of CCR7-Acting Chemokines; Short Peptides Boost Chemokines with Short Basic Tails, Longer Peptides Boost Chemokines with Long Basic Tails. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23031397. [PMID: 35163323 PMCID: PMC8836243 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 01/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The chemokine receptor CCR7 and its ligands CCL19 and CCL21 regulate the lymph node homing of dendritic cells and naïve T-cells and the following induction of a motile DC-T cell priming state. Although CCL19 and CCL21 bind CCR7 with similar affinities, CCL21 is a weak agonist compared to CCL19. Using a chimeric chemokine, CCL19CCL21N-term|C-term, harboring the N-terminus and the C-terminus of CCL21 attached to the core domain of CCL19, we show that these parts of CCL21 act in a synergistic manner to lower ligand potency and determine the way CCL21 engages with CCR7. We have published that a naturally occurring basic C-terminal fragment of CCL21 (C21TP) boosts the signaling of both CCL19 and CCL21. Boosting occurs as a direct consequence of C21TP binding to the CCR7 N-terminus, which seems to free chemokines with basic C-termini from an unfavorable interaction with negatively charged posttranslational modifications in CCR7. Here, we confirm this using a CCL19-variant lacking the basic C-terminus. This variant displays a 22-fold higher potency at CCR7 compared to WT CCL19 and is highly unaffected by the presence of C21TP. WT CCL19 has a short basic C-terminus, CCL21 a longer one. Here, we propose a way to differentially boost CCL19 and CCL21 activity as short and long versions of C21TP boost CCL19 activity, whereas only a long C21TP version can boost chemokines with a full-length CCL21 C-terminus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Probst Brandum
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark; (E.P.B.); (A.S.J.); (K.S.); (M.M.R.); (C.K.G.)
| | - Astrid Sissel Jørgensen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark; (E.P.B.); (A.S.J.); (K.S.); (M.M.R.); (C.K.G.)
| | | | - Katja Spiess
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark; (E.P.B.); (A.S.J.); (K.S.); (M.M.R.); (C.K.G.)
- Virus and Microbiological Special Diagnostics, Statens Serum Institut, 2300 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Francis C. Peterson
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA; (F.C.P.); (B.F.V.)
| | - Zhang Yang
- Copenhagen Center for Glycomics, University of Copenhagen, Noerregade 10, 1165 Copenhagen, Denmark;
| | - Brian F. Volkman
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA; (F.C.P.); (B.F.V.)
| | | | - Mette Marie Rosenkilde
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark; (E.P.B.); (A.S.J.); (K.S.); (M.M.R.); (C.K.G.)
| | - Christoffer Knak Goth
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark; (E.P.B.); (A.S.J.); (K.S.); (M.M.R.); (C.K.G.)
| | - Gertrud Malene Hjortø
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark; (E.P.B.); (A.S.J.); (K.S.); (M.M.R.); (C.K.G.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +45-29-869220
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13
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McKenna S, Giblin SP, Bunn RA, Xu Y, Matthews SJ, Pease JE. A highly efficient method for the production and purification of recombinant human CXCL8. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0258270. [PMID: 34653205 PMCID: PMC8519433 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemokines play diverse and fundamental roles in the immune system and human disease, which has prompted their structural and functional characterisation. Production of recombinant chemokines that are folded and bioactive is vital to their study but is limited by the stringent requirements of a native N-terminus for receptor activation and correct disulphide bonding required to stabilise the chemokine fold. Even when expressed as fusion proteins, overexpression of chemokines in E. coli tends to result in the formation of inclusion bodies, generating the additional steps of solubilisation and refolding. Here we present a novel method for producing soluble chemokines in relatively large amounts via a simple two-step purification procedure with no requirements for refolding. CXCL8 produced by this method has the correct chemokine fold as determined by NMR spectroscopy and in chemotaxis assays was indistinguishable from commercially available chemokines. We believe that this protocol significantly streamlines the generation of recombinant chemokines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie McKenna
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sean Patrick Giblin
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rosemarie Anne Bunn
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Yingqi Xu
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - James Edward Pease
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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14
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Gutjahr JC, Crawford KS, Jensen DR, Naik P, Peterson FC, Samson GPB, Legler DF, Duchene J, Veldkamp CT, Rot A, Volkman BF. The dimeric form of CXCL12 binds to atypical chemokine receptor 1. Sci Signal 2021; 14:14/696/eabc9012. [PMID: 34404752 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.abc9012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The pleiotropic chemokine CXCL12 is involved in diverse physiological and pathophysiological processes, including embryogenesis, hematopoiesis, leukocyte migration, and tumor metastasis. It is known to engage the classical receptor CXCR4 and the atypical receptor ACKR3. Differential receptor engagement can transduce distinct cellular signals and effects as well as alter the amount of free, extracellular chemokine. CXCR4 binds both monomeric and the more commonly found dimeric forms of CXCL12, whereas ACKR3 binds monomeric forms. Here, we found that CXCL12 also bound to the atypical receptor ACKR1 (previously known as Duffy antigen/receptor for chemokines or DARC). In vitro nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and isothermal titration calorimetry revealed that dimeric CXCL12 bound to the extracellular N terminus of ACKR1 with low nanomolar affinity, whereas the binding affinity of monomeric CXCL12 was orders of magnitude lower. In transfected MDCK cells and primary human Duffy-positive erythrocytes, a dimeric, but not a monomeric, construct of CXCL12 efficiently bound to and internalized with ACKR1. This interaction between CXCL12 and ACKR1 provides another layer of regulation of the multiple biological functions of CXCL12. The findings also raise the possibility that ACKR1 can bind other dimeric chemokines, thus potentially further expanding the role of ACKR1 in chemokine retention and presentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia C Gutjahr
- Centre for Microvascular Research, William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Kyler S Crawford
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Davin R Jensen
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Prachi Naik
- Centre for Microvascular Research, William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Francis C Peterson
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Guerric P B Samson
- Biotechnology Institute Thurgau (BITg), University of Konstanz, 8280 Kreuzlingen, Switzerland
| | - Daniel F Legler
- Biotechnology Institute Thurgau (BITg), University of Konstanz, 8280 Kreuzlingen, Switzerland.,Theodor Kocher Institute, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Johan Duchene
- Institute for Cardiovascular Prevention, Ludwig-Maximilians University, 80336 Munich, Germany
| | | | - Antal Rot
- Centre for Microvascular Research, William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London EC1M 6BQ, UK. .,Institute for Cardiovascular Prevention, Ludwig-Maximilians University, 80336 Munich, Germany.,Centre for Inflammation and Therapeutic Innovation, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Brian F Volkman
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.
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15
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A Versatile Toolkit for Semi-Automated Production of Fluorescent Chemokines to Study CCR7 Expression and Functions. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22084158. [PMID: 33923834 PMCID: PMC8072677 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22084158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Chemokines guide leukocyte migration in different contexts, including homeostasis, immune surveillance and immunity. The chemokines CCL19 and CCL21 control lymphocyte and dendritic cell migration and homing to lymphoid organs. Thereby they orchestrate adaptive immunity in a chemokine receptor CCR7-dependent manner. Likewise, cancer cells that upregulate CCR7 expression are attracted by these chemokines and metastasize to lymphoid organs. In-depth investigation of CCR7 expression and chemokine-mediated signaling is pivotal to understand their role in health and disease. Appropriate fluorescent probes to track these events are increasingly in demand. Here, we present an approach to cost-effectively produce and fluorescently label CCL19 and CCL21 in a semi-automated process. We established a versatile protocol for the production of recombinant chemokines harboring a small C-terminal S6-tag for efficient and site-specific enzymatic labelling with an inorganic fluorescent dye of choice. We demonstrate that the fluorescently labeled chemokines CCL19-S6Dy649P1 and CCL21-S6Dy649P1 retain their full biological function as assessed by their abilities to mobilize intracellular calcium, to recruit β-arrestin to engaged receptors and to attract CCR7-expressing leukocytes. Moreover, we show that CCL19-S6Dy649P1 serves as powerful reagent to monitor CCR7 internalization by time-lapse confocal video microscopy and to stain CCR7-positive primary human and mouse T cell sub-populations.
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16
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Matti C, D'Uonnolo G, Artinger M, Melgrati S, Salnikov A, Thelen S, Purvanov V, Strobel TD, Spannagel L, Thelen M, Legler DF. CCL20 is a novel ligand for the scavenging atypical chemokine receptor 4. J Leukoc Biol 2020; 107:1137-1154. [PMID: 32533638 DOI: 10.1002/jlb.2ma0420-295rrr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Revised: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The chemokine CCL20 is broadly produced by endothelial cells in the liver, the lung, in lymph nodes and mucosal lymphoid tissues, and recruits CCR6 expressing leukocytes, particularly dendritic cells, mature B cells, and subpopulations of T cells. How CCL20 is systemically scavenged is currently unknown. Here, we identify that fluorescently labeled human and mouse CCL20 are efficiently taken-up by the atypical chemokine receptor ACKR4. CCL20 shares ACKR4 with the homeostatic chemokines CCL19, CCL21, and CCL25, although with a lower affinity. We demonstrate that all 4 human chemokines recruit β-arrestin1 and β-arrestin2 to human ACKR4. Similarly, mouse CCL19, CCL21, and CCL25 equally activate the human receptor. Interestingly, at the same chemokine concentration, mouse CCL20 did not recruit β-arrestins to human ACKR4. Further cross-species analysis suggests that human ACKR4 preferentially takes-up human CCL20, whereas mouse ACKR4 similarly internalizes mouse and human CCL20. Furthermore, we engineered a fluorescently labeled chimeric chemokine consisting of the N-terminus of mouse CCL25 and the body of mouse CCL19, termed CCL25_19, which interacts with and is taken-up by human and mouse ACKR4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Matti
- Biotechnology Institute Thurgau (BITg), University of Konstanz, Kreuzlingen, Switzerland
| | - Giulia D'Uonnolo
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Università della Svizzera italiana, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Marc Artinger
- Biotechnology Institute Thurgau (BITg), University of Konstanz, Kreuzlingen, Switzerland
| | - Serena Melgrati
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Università della Svizzera italiana, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Angela Salnikov
- Biotechnology Institute Thurgau (BITg), University of Konstanz, Kreuzlingen, Switzerland
| | - Sylvia Thelen
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Università della Svizzera italiana, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Vladimir Purvanov
- Biotechnology Institute Thurgau (BITg), University of Konstanz, Kreuzlingen, Switzerland
| | - Tobias D Strobel
- Biotechnology Institute Thurgau (BITg), University of Konstanz, Kreuzlingen, Switzerland
| | - Lisa Spannagel
- Biotechnology Institute Thurgau (BITg), University of Konstanz, Kreuzlingen, Switzerland
| | - Marcus Thelen
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Università della Svizzera italiana, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Daniel F Legler
- Biotechnology Institute Thurgau (BITg), University of Konstanz, Kreuzlingen, Switzerland.,Faculty of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.,Theodor Kocher Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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17
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Matti C, Salnikov A, Artinger M, D'Agostino G, Kindinger I, Uguccioni M, Thelen M, Legler DF. ACKR4 Recruits GRK3 Prior to β-Arrestins but Can Scavenge Chemokines in the Absence of β-Arrestins. Front Immunol 2020; 11:720. [PMID: 32391018 PMCID: PMC7188906 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.00720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Chemokines are essential for guiding cell migration. Atypical chemokine receptors (ACKRs) contribute to the cell migration process by binding, internalizing and degrading local chemokines, which enables the formation of confined gradients. ACKRs are heptahelical membrane spanning molecules structurally related to G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), but seem to be unable to signal through G-proteins upon ligand binding. ACKR4 internalizes the chemokines CCL19, CCL21, and CCL25 and is best known for shaping functional CCL21 gradients. Ligand binding to ACKR4 has been shown to recruit β-arrestins that has led to the assumption that chemokine scavenging relies on β-arrestin-mediated ACKR4 trafficking, a common internalization route taken by class A GPCRs. Here, we show that CCL19, CCL21, and CCL25 readily recruited β-arrestin1 and β-arrestin2 to human ACKR4, but found no evidence for β-arrestin-dependent or independent ACKR4-mediated activation of the kinases Erk1/2, Akt, or Src. However, we demonstrate that β-arrestins interacted with ACKR4 in the steady-state and contributed to the spontaneous trafficking of the receptor in the absence of chemokines. Deleting the C-terminus of ACKR4 not only interfered with the interaction of β-arrestins, but also with the uptake of fluorescently labeled cognate chemokines. We identify the GPCR kinase GRK3, and to a lesser extent GRK2, but not GRK4, GRK5, and GRK6, to be recruited to chemokine-stimulated ACKR4. We show that GRK3 recruitment proceded the recruitment of β-arrestins upon ACKR4 engagement and that GRK2/3 inhibition partially interfered with steady-state interaction and chemokine-driven recruitment of β-arrestins to ACKR4. Overexpressing β-arrestin2 accelerated the uptake of fluorescently labeled CCL19, indicating that β-arrestins contribute to the chemokine scavenging activity of ACKR4. By contrast, cells lacking β-arrestins were still capable to take up fluorescently labeled CCL19 demonstrating that β-arrestins are dispensable for chemokine scavenging by ACKR4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Matti
- Biotechnology Institute Thurgau (BITg) at the University of Konstanz, Kreuzlingen, Switzerland
| | - Angela Salnikov
- Biotechnology Institute Thurgau (BITg) at the University of Konstanz, Kreuzlingen, Switzerland
| | - Marc Artinger
- Biotechnology Institute Thurgau (BITg) at the University of Konstanz, Kreuzlingen, Switzerland
| | - Gianluca D'Agostino
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Ilona Kindinger
- Biotechnology Institute Thurgau (BITg) at the University of Konstanz, Kreuzlingen, Switzerland
| | - Mariagrazia Uguccioni
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Marcus Thelen
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Daniel F Legler
- Biotechnology Institute Thurgau (BITg) at the University of Konstanz, Kreuzlingen, Switzerland.,Faculty of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.,Theodor Kocher Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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18
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Moussouras NA, Hjortø GM, Peterson FC, Szpakowska M, Chevigné A, Rosenkilde MM, Volkman BF, Dwinell MB. Structural Features of an Extended C-Terminal Tail Modulate the Function of the Chemokine CCL21. Biochemistry 2020; 59:1338-1350. [PMID: 32182428 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.0c00047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The chemokines CCL21 and CCL19, through binding of their cognate receptor CCR7, orchestrate lymph node homing of dendritic cells and naïve T cells. CCL21 differs from CCL19 via an unstructured 32 residue C-terminal domain. Previously described roles for the CCL21 C-terminus include GAG-binding, spatial localization to lymphatic vessels, and autoinhibitory modulation of CCR7-mediated chemotaxis. While truncation of the C-terminal tail induced chemical shift changes in the folded chemokine domain, the structural basis for its influence on CCL21 function remains largely unexplored. CCL21 concentration-dependent NMR chemical shifts revealed weak, nonphysiological self-association that mimics the truncation of the C-terminal tail. We generated a series of C-terminal truncation variants to dissect the C-terminus influence on CCL21 structure and receptor activation. Using NMR spectroscopy, we found that CCL21 residues 80-90 mediate contacts with the chemokine domain. In cell-based assays for CCR7 and ACKR4 activation, we also found that residues 92-100 reduced CCL21 potency in calcium flux, cAMP inhibition, and β-arrestin recruitment. Taken together, these structure-function studies support a model wherein intramolecular interactions with specific residues of the flexible C-terminus stabilize a less active monomer conformation of the CCL21. We speculate that the autoinhibitory intramolecular contacts between the C-terminal tail and chemokine body are disrupted by GAG binding and/or interactions with the CCR7 receptor to ensure optimal functionality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha A Moussouras
- From the Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226, United States
| | - Gertrud M Hjortø
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2200, Denmark
| | - Francis C Peterson
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226, United States
| | - Martyna Szpakowska
- Department of Infection and Immunity, Immuno-Pharmacology and Interactomics, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Esch-sur-Alzette L-4354, Luxembourg
| | - Andy Chevigné
- Department of Infection and Immunity, Immuno-Pharmacology and Interactomics, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Esch-sur-Alzette L-4354, Luxembourg
| | - Mette M Rosenkilde
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2200, Denmark
| | - Brian F Volkman
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226, United States
| | - Michael B Dwinell
- From the Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226, United States
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19
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Jørgensen AS, Larsen O, Uetz-von Allmen E, Lückmann M, Legler DF, Frimurer TM, Veldkamp CT, Hjortø GM, Rosenkilde MM. Biased Signaling of CCL21 and CCL19 Does Not Rely on N-Terminal Differences, but Markedly on the Chemokine Core Domains and Extracellular Loop 2 of CCR7. Front Immunol 2019; 10:2156. [PMID: 31572374 PMCID: PMC6753178 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.02156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemokine receptors play important roles in the immune system and are linked to several human diseases. Targeting chemokine receptors have so far shown very little success owing to, to some extent, the promiscuity of the immune system and the high degree of biased signaling within it. CCR7 and its two endogenous ligands display biased signaling and here we investigate the differences between the two ligands, CCL21 and CCL19, with respect to their biased activation of CCR7. We use bystander bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) based signaling assays and Transwell migration assays to determine (A) how swapping of domains between the two ligands affect their signaling patterns and (B) how receptor mutagenesis impacts signaling. Using chimeric ligands we find that the chemokine core domains are central for determining signaling outcome as the lack of β-arrestin-2 recruitment displayed by CCL21 is linked to its core domain and not N-terminus. Through a mutagenesis screen, we identify the extracellular domains of CCR7 to be important for both ligands and show that the two chemokines interact differentially with extracellular loop 2 (ECL-2). By using in silico modeling, we propose a link between ECL-2 interaction and CCR7 signal transduction. Our mutagenesis study also suggests a lysine in the top of TM3, K1303.26, to be important for G protein signaling, but not β-arrestin-2 recruitment. Taken together, the bias in CCR7 between CCL19 and CCL21 relies on the chemokine core domains, where interactions with ECL-2 seem particularly important. Moreover, TM3 selectively regulates G protein signaling as found for other chemokine receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Astrid S Jørgensen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Olav Larsen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Edith Uetz-von Allmen
- Biotechnology Institute Thurgau (BITg), University of Konstanz, Kreuzlingen, Switzerland
| | - Michael Lückmann
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Daniel F Legler
- Biotechnology Institute Thurgau (BITg), University of Konstanz, Kreuzlingen, Switzerland
| | - Thomas M Frimurer
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Christopher T Veldkamp
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Whitewater, WI, United States
| | - Gertrud M Hjortø
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mette M Rosenkilde
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Natochii T, Motronenko V. Comparative Characteristics of Biotechnological Approaches to Obtaining Recombinant Human Cytokines in Bacterial Expressing Systems. INNOVATIVE BIOSYSTEMS AND BIOENGINEERING 2019. [DOI: 10.20535/ibb.2019.3.3.170150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
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Fluorescently Tagged CCL19 and CCL21 to Monitor CCR7 and ACKR4 Functions. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19123876. [PMID: 30518137 PMCID: PMC6321256 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19123876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2018] [Revised: 12/03/2018] [Accepted: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Chemokines are essential guidance cues orchestrating cell migration in health and disease. Cognate chemokine receptors sense chemokine gradients over short distances to coordinate directional cell locomotion. The chemokines CCL19 and CCL21 are essential for recruiting CCR7-expressing dendritic cells bearing pathogen-derived antigens and lymphocytes to lymph nodes, where the two cell types meet to launch an adaptive immune response against the invading pathogen. CCR7-expressing cancer cells are also recruited by CCL19 and CCL21 to metastasize in lymphoid organs. In contrast, atypical chemokine receptors (ACKRs) do not transmit signals required for cell locomotion but scavenge chemokines. ACKR4 is crucial for internalizing and degrading CCL19 and CCL21 to establish local gradients, which are sensed by CCR7-expressing cells. Here, we describe the production of fluorescently tagged chemokines by fusing CCL19 and CCL21 to monomeric red fluorescent protein (mRFP). We show that purified CCL19-mRFP and CCL21-mRFP are versatile and powerful tools to study CCR7 and ACKR4 functions, such as receptor trafficking and chemokine scavenging, in a spatiotemporal fashion. We demonstrate that fluorescently tagged CCL19 and CCL21 permit the visualization and quantification of chemokine gradients in real time, while CCR7-expressing leukocytes and cancer cells sense the guidance cues and migrate along the chemokine gradients.
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Jørgensen AS, Adogamhe PE, Laufer JM, Legler DF, Veldkamp CT, Rosenkilde MM, Hjortø GM. CCL19 with CCL21-tail displays enhanced glycosaminoglycan binding with retained chemotactic potency in dendritic cells. J Leukoc Biol 2018; 104:401-411. [PMID: 29768676 DOI: 10.1002/jlb.2vma0118-008r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2018] [Revised: 03/13/2018] [Accepted: 03/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
CCL19 is more potent than CCL21 in inducing chemotaxis of human dendritic cells (DC). This difference is attributed to 1) a stronger interaction of the basic C-terminal tail of CCL21 with acidic glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) in the environment and 2) an autoinhibitory function of this C-terminal tail. Moreover, different receptor docking modes and tissue expression patterns of CCL19 and CCL21 contribute to fine-tuned control of CCR7 signaling. Here, we investigate the effect of the tail of CCL21 on chemokine binding to GAGs and on CCR7 activation. We show that transfer of CCL21-tail to CCL19 (CCL19CCL21-tail ) markedly increases binding of CCL19 to human dendritic cell surfaces, without impairing CCL19-induced intracellular calcium release or DC chemotaxis, although it causes reduced CCR7 internalization. The more potent chemotaxis induced by CCL19 and CCL19CCL21-tail compared to CCL21 is not transferred to CCL21 by replacing its N-terminus with that of CCL19 (CCL21CCL19-N-term ). Measurements of cAMP production in CHO cells uncover that CCL21-tail transfer (CCL19CCL21-tail ) negatively affects CCL19 potency, whereas removal of CCL21-tail (CCL21tailless ) increases signaling compared to full-length CCL21, indicating that the tail negatively affects signaling via cAMP. Similar to chemokine-driven calcium mobilization and chemotaxis, the potency of CCL21 in cAMP is not improved by transfer of the CCL19 N-terminus to CCL21 (CCL21CCL19-N-term ). Together these results indicate that ligands containing CCL21 core and C-terminal tail (CCL21 and CCL21CCL19-N-term ) are most restricted in their cAMP signaling; a phenotype attributed to a stronger GAG binding of CCL21 and defined structural differences between CCL19 and CCL21.
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Affiliation(s)
- Astrid S Jørgensen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Pontian E Adogamhe
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Whitewater, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Julia M Laufer
- Biotechnology Institute Thurgau (BITg), at the University of Konstanz, Kreuzlingen, Switzerland
| | - Daniel F Legler
- Biotechnology Institute Thurgau (BITg), at the University of Konstanz, Kreuzlingen, Switzerland
| | | | - Mette M Rosenkilde
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Gertrud M Hjortø
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Chen X, Jin R, Chen R, Huang Z. Complementary action of CXCL1 and CXCL8 in pathogenesis of gastric carcinoma. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PATHOLOGY 2018; 11:1036-1045. [PMID: 31938199 PMCID: PMC6958037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2017] [Accepted: 12/17/2017] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand (CXCL) is a class of secreted growth factor that signals through a G-protein coupled receptor. CXCL protein family members play important roles in inflammation and aberrant expression is associated with growth and progression of certain tumors. To explore the expression pattern and action mechanism of CXCL1 and CXCL8 in development of gastric carcinoma (GC), 72 cases of GC and para-carcinoma tissue specimens were used for experimental study, and qPCR was used for analysis on the expression of CXCL1 and CXCL8 in GC specimens. For in vitro culture of GC cell HGC27, knockout of CXCL1 and CXCL8 genes for GC cell HGC27 was performed through RNA interference, proliferation of HGC27 cells was tested by MTT, apoptosis of HGC27 cells was tested by flow cytometry, and the influence of CXCL1 and CXCL8 on HGC27 cell migration was tested by transwell. CXCL1 and CXCL8 expression level in HGC27 cells was analyzed by Western blotting. Co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP) was used for identifying interaction of CXCL1 and CXCL8 with CXCR2 in GC cells. The results show that both CXCL1 and CXCL8 expression were significantly up-regulated. Relevant clinical data showed that low expression of CXCL1 and CXCL8 significantly correlated with features for poor prognosis of GC, including serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level, tumor size, and TNM staging. Down-regulation of CXCL1 and CXCL8 may up-regulate expression of each other and thus silencing expression of CXCL1 and CXCL8 may significantly inhibit proliferation and migration capabilities of HGC27 cells, and induce the apoptosis. Downregulated CXCL1 and CXCL8 expression in GC cells may significantly intensify interaction of one another and with CXCR2. The above results indicate that CXCL1 and CXCL8 participate in GC proliferation, apoptosis, and migration processes through specific binding with CXCR2 by a synergistic effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuyan Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University P. R. China
| | - Ruifang Jin
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University P. R. China
| | - Renpin Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University P. R. China
| | - Zhiming Huang
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University P. R. China
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Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are cell surface receptors that relay extracellular signals to the inside of the cells. C-X-C chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) is a GPCR that undergoes receptor internalization and recycling upon stimulation with its cognate ligand, C-X-C chemokine 12 (CXCL12). Using this receptor/ligand pair we describe the use of two techniques, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and flow cytometry, widely used to quantify GPCR internalization from the plasma membrane and its return to the cell surface by recycling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda M Nevins
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Adriano Marchese
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
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25
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Ge B, Li J, Wei Z, Sun T, Song Y, Khan NU. Functional expression of CCL8 and its interaction with chemokine receptor CCR3. BMC Immunol 2017; 18:54. [PMID: 29281969 PMCID: PMC5745793 DOI: 10.1186/s12865-017-0237-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2017] [Accepted: 12/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Chemokines and their cognate receptors play important role in the control of leukocyte chemotaxis, HIV entry and other inflammatory diseases. Developing an effcient method to investigate the functional expression of chemokines and its interactions with specific receptors will be helpful to asses the structural and functional characteristics as well as the design of new approach to therapeutic intervention. Results By making systematic optimization study of expression conditions, soluble and functional production of chemokine C-C motif ligand 8 (CCL8) in Escherichia coli (E. coli) has been achieved with approx. 1.5 mg protein/l culture. Quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) analysis exhibited that the purified CCL8 could bind with C-C chemokine receptor type 3 (CCR3) with dissociation equilibrium constant (KD) as 1.2 × 10−7 M in vitro. Obvious internalization of CCR3 in vivo could be detected in 1 h when exposed to 100 nM of CCL8. Compared with chemokine C-C motif ligand 11 (CCL11) and chemokine C-C motif ligand 24 (CCL24), a weaker chemotactic effect of CCR3 expressing cells was observed when induced by CCL8 with same concentration. Conclusion This study delivers a simple and applicable way to produce functional chemokines in E. coli. The results clearly confirms that CCL8 can interact with chemokine receptor CCR3, therefore, it is promising area to develop drugs for the treatment of related diseases. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12865-017-0237-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baosheng Ge
- Center for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao, 266580, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jiqiang Li
- Center for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao, 266580, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhijin Wei
- Center for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao, 266580, People's Republic of China
| | - Tingting Sun
- Center for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao, 266580, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanzhuo Song
- Center for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao, 266580, People's Republic of China
| | - Naseer Ullah Khan
- Center for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao, 266580, People's Republic of China
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Effects of cognate, non-cognate and synthetic CXCR4 and ACKR3 ligands on human lung endothelial cell barrier function. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0187949. [PMID: 29125867 PMCID: PMC5681266 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0187949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2017] [Accepted: 10/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent evidence suggests that chemokine CXCL12, the cognate agonist of chemokine receptors CXCR4 and ACKR3, reduces thrombin-mediated impairment of endothelial barrier function. A detailed characterization of the effects of CXCL12 on thrombin-mediated human lung endothelial hyperpermeability is lacking and structure-function correlations are not available. Furthermore, effects of other CXCR4/ACKR3 ligands on lung endothelial barrier function are unknown. Thus, we tested the effects of a panel of CXCR4/ACKR3 ligands (CXCL12, CXCL11, ubiquitin, AMD3100, TC14012) and compared the CXCR4/ACKR3 activities of CXCL12 variants (CXCL12α/β, CXCL12(3–68), CXCL121, CXCL122, CXCL12-S-S4V, CXCL12-R47E, CXCL12-K27A/R41A/R47A) with their effects on human lung endothelial barrier function in permeability assays. CXCL12α enhanced human primary pulmonary artery endothelial cell (hPPAEC) barrier function, whereas CXCL11, ubiquitin, AMD3100 and TC14012 were ineffective. Pre-treatment of hPPAEC with CXCL12α and ubiquitin reduced thrombin-mediated hyperpermeability. CXCL12α-treatment of hPPAEC after thrombin exposure reduced barrier function impairment by 70% (EC50 0.05–0.5nM), which could be antagonized with AMD3100; ubiquitin (0.03–3μM) was ineffective. In a human lung microvascular endothelial cell line (HULEC5a), CXCL12α and ubiquitin post-treatment attenuated thrombin-induced hyperpermeability to a similar degree. CXCL12(3–68) was inefficient to activate CXCR4 in Presto-Tango β-arrestin2 recruitment assays; CXCL12-S-S4V, CXCL12-R47E and CXCL12-K27A/R41A/R47A showed significantly reduced potencies to activate CXCR4. While the potencies of all proteins in ACKR3 Presto-Tango assays were comparable, the efficacy of CXCL12(3–68) to activate ACKR3 was significantly reduced. The potencies to attenuate thrombin-mediated hPPAEC barrier function impairment were: CXCL12α/β, CXCL121, CXCL12-K27A/R41A/R47A > CXCL12-S-S4V, CXCL12-R47E > CXCL122 > CXCL12(3–68). Our findings indicate that CXCR4 activation attenuates thrombin-induced lung endothelial barrier function impairment and suggest that protective effects of CXCL12 are dictated by its CXCR4 agonist activity and interactions of distinct protein moieties with heparan sulfate on the endothelial surface. These data may facilitate development of compounds with improved pharmacological properties to attenuate thrombin-induced vascular leakage in the pulmonary circulation.
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Moussouras NA, Getschman AE, Lackner ER, Veldkamp CT, Dwinell MB, Volkman BF. Differences in Sulfotyrosine Binding amongst CXCR1 and CXCR2 Chemokine Ligands. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:ijms18091894. [PMID: 28869519 PMCID: PMC5618543 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18091894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2017] [Revised: 08/29/2017] [Accepted: 09/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Tyrosine sulfation, a post-translational modification found on many chemokine receptors, typically increases receptor affinity for the chemokine ligand. A previous bioinformatics analysis suggested that a sulfotyrosine (sY)-binding site on the surface of the chemokine CXCL12 may be conserved throughout the chemokine family. However, the extent to which receptor tyrosine sulfation contributes to chemokine binding has been examined in only a few instances. Computational solvent mapping correctly identified the conserved sulfotyrosine-binding sites on CXCL12 and CCL21 detected by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, demonstrating its utility for hot spot analysis in the chemokine family. In this study, we analyzed five chemokines that bind to CXCR2, a subset of which also bind to CXCR1, to identify hot spots that could participate in receptor binding. A cleft containing the predicted sulfotyrosine-binding pocket was identified as a principal hot spot for ligand binding on the structures of CXCL1, CXCL2, CXCL7, and CXCL8, but not CXCL5. Sulfotyrosine titrations monitored via NMR spectroscopy showed specific binding to CXCL8, but not to CXCL5, which is consistent with the predictions from the computational solvent mapping. The lack of CXCL5–sulfotyrosine interaction and the presence of CXCL8–sulfotyrosine binding suggests a role for receptor post-translational modifications regulating ligand selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha A Moussouras
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.
| | - Anthony E Getschman
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.
| | - Emily R Lackner
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Whitewater, WI 53190, USA.
| | | | - Michael B Dwinell
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.
| | - Brian F Volkman
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.
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28
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CCR7 Sulfotyrosine Enhances CCL21 Binding. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:ijms18091857. [PMID: 28841151 PMCID: PMC5618506 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18091857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2017] [Revised: 08/18/2017] [Accepted: 08/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Chemokines are secreted proteins that direct the migration of immune cells and are involved in numerous disease states. For example, CCL21 (CC chemokine ligand 21) and CCL19 (CC chemokine ligand 19) recruit antigen-presenting dendritic cells and naïve T-cells to the lymph nodes and are thought to play a role in lymph node metastasis of CCR7 (CC chemokine receptor 7)-expressing cancer cells. For many chemokine receptors, N-terminal posttranslational modifications, particularly the sulfation of tyrosine residues, increases the affinity for chemokine ligands and may contribute to receptor ligand bias. Chemokine sulfotyrosine (sY) binding sites are also potential targets for drug development. In light of the structural similarity between sulfotyrosine and phosphotyrosine (pY), the interactions of CCL21 with peptide fragments of CCR7 containing tyrosine, pY, or sY were compared using protein NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) spectroscopy in this study. Various N-terminal CCR7 peptides maintain binding site specificity with Y8-, pY8-, or sY8-containing peptides binding near the α-helix, while Y17-, pY17-, and sY17-containing peptides bind near the N-loop and β3-stand of CCL21. All modified CCR7 peptides showed enhanced binding affinity to CCL21, with sY having the largest effect.
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29
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Barmore AJ, Castex SM, Gouletas BA, Griffith AJ, Metz SW, Muelder NG, Populin MJ, Sackett DM, Schuster AM, Veldkamp CT. Transferring the C-terminus of the chemokine CCL21 to CCL19 confers enhanced heparin binding. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2016; 477:602-606. [PMID: 27338641 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2016.06.098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2016] [Accepted: 06/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Chemokines direct the migration of cells during various immune processes and are involved in many disease states. For example, CCL19 and CCL21, through activation of the CCR7 receptor, recruit dendritic cells and naïve T-cells to the secondary lymphoid organs aiding in balancing immune response and tolerance. However, CCL19 and CCL21 can also direct the metastasis of CCR7 expressing cancers. Chemokine binding to glycosaminoglycans, such as heparin, is as important to chemokine function as receptor activation. CCL21 is unique in that it contains an extended C-terminus not found in other chemokines like CCL19. Deletion of this extended C-terminus reduces CCL21's affinity for heparin and transferring the CCL21 C-terminus to CCL19 enhances heparin binding mainly through non-specific, electrostatic interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin J Barmore
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, 800 West Main Street, Whitewater, WI 53190, USA
| | - Sally M Castex
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, 800 West Main Street, Whitewater, WI 53190, USA
| | - Brittany A Gouletas
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, 800 West Main Street, Whitewater, WI 53190, USA
| | - Alex J Griffith
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, 800 West Main Street, Whitewater, WI 53190, USA
| | - Slater W Metz
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, 800 West Main Street, Whitewater, WI 53190, USA
| | - Nicolas G Muelder
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, 800 West Main Street, Whitewater, WI 53190, USA
| | - Michael J Populin
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, 800 West Main Street, Whitewater, WI 53190, USA
| | - David M Sackett
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, 800 West Main Street, Whitewater, WI 53190, USA
| | - Abigail M Schuster
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, 800 West Main Street, Whitewater, WI 53190, USA
| | - Christopher T Veldkamp
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, 800 West Main Street, Whitewater, WI 53190, USA; Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.
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