Glycosylated extracellular domains of membrane immunoglobulin M contribute to its association with mb-1/B29 gene products and the B cell receptor complex

Glycosylation of IgG B cell receptor (IgG BCR) in multiple myeloma: relationship between sialylation and the signal activity of IgG BCR

Little is known about the glycosylation of the isotype switched B cell receptor (BCR) in multiple myeloma, and the way it might affect receptor function. In this work IgG BCRs isolated from the individual lysates of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) of 32 patients with IgG multiple myeloma and healthy controls were investigated for the expression of sialic acid (SA), galactose (Gal) and N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc), the sugars known to specify the glycoforms of human serum IgG. The degree of glycosylation and signaling status of all 32 isolated myeloma IgG BCRs were correlated and compared with the glycosylation of the IgG paraproteins isolated from sera of the same patients. It was shown that BCR IgG in myeloma is more heavily sialylated when compared with normal controls, that the increased sialylation of IgG BCR is associated with higher levels of tyrosine phosphorylation (signaling activity) of the IgG BCR supramolecular complex and that BCR IgG and serum IgG paraprotein from the same patient differed in all cases in the levels of terminal sugar expression. The results suggest that the development of the malignant clone in MM from post-switch B cells expressing IgG BCR at their surfaces to plasma cells secreting IgG paraprotein may be followed by permanent glycosylation changes in the IgG molecules.

Role of the extracellular and transmembrane domain of Ig-alpha/beta in assembly of the B cell antigen receptor (BCR)

The B cell antigen receptor (BCR) is expressed on the surface of B-lymphocytes where it binds antigen and transmits signals that regulate B cell activation, growth and differentiation. The BCR is composed of membrane IgM (mIgM) and two signaling proteins, Ig-alpha and Ig-beta. If either of the signaling proteins is not expressed, the incomplete mIgM-containing BCR will not traffic to the cell surface. Our hypothesis is that specific protein:protein interactions between both the extracellular and transmembrane (TM) regions of Ig-alpha and Ig-beta are necessary for receptor assembly, cell surface expression and effective signaling to support the proper development of B cells. While previous work has shown the importance of the TM region in BCR assembly, this study indicates that a heterodimer of the extracellular domains of Ig-alpha and Ig-beta are also required for proper association with mIgM. Cell lines expressing mutated Ig-alpha proteins that did not heterodimerize with Ig-beta in the extracellular and TM domains were unable to properly assemble the BCR. Conversely, an Ig-alpha mutant with an Ig-beta cytoplasmic tail (Cbeta (alpha/alpha/beta)) was able to assemble with the rest of the BCR, in particular with Ig-beta, and traffic to the cell surface. Thus, both the extracellular and TM regions of the Ig-alpha/Ig-beta must be properly associated in order for the BCR to assemble.

Expression of AMPA-type glutamate receptors in HEK cells and cerebellar granule neurons impairs CXCL2-mediated chemotaxis

We find that cerebellar granule neurons (CGN) obtained from newborn rats (p3) migrate in response to both CXC chemokine ligand-2 (CXCL2) and -12 (CXCL12), while CGN from p7 rats are unresponsive to CXCL2. The expression of alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate (AMPA)-type glutamate receptor 1 (GluR1) greatly impairs the chemotaxis induced by CXCL2 in CXCR2-expressing HEK cells. By immunoprecipitation, we show that CXCR2 is associated with AMPA receptors (AMPARs) in p7 CGN, and with GluR1 co-expressed in HEK cells. Taken together, these results suggest that the association between CXCR2 and AMPARs results in the inhibition of CXCL2-dependent chemotaxis, and may represent a molecular mechanism underlying the modulation of nerve cell migration.

Expression and characterization of recombinant soluble human CD3 molecules: presentation of antigenic epitopes defined on the native TCR-CD3 complex

The TCR-CD3 complex consists of the clonotypic disulfide-linked TCRalphabeta or TCRdeltagamma heterodimers, and the invariant CD3delta, epsilon, gamma and zeta chains. We generated plasmid constructs expressing the extracellular domains of the CD3delta, epsilon or gamma subunits fused to human IgG1 Fc. Recombinant fusion proteins consisting of individual CD3delta, epsilon or gamma subunits reacted poorly with anti-CD3 mAb including G19-4, BC3, OKT3 and 64.1. Co-expression of the CD3epsilon-Ig with either the CD3delta-Ig (CD3epsilondelta-Ig) or the CD3gamma-Ig (CD3epsilongamma-Ig) resulted in fusion proteins with much increased binding to G19-4. A brief acid treatment of the purified CD3epsilondelta-Ig fusion protein substantially improved its binding to BC3, OKT3 and 64.1. Surface plasmon resonance analysis revealed that the dissociation constants for CD3epsilondelta-Ig and anti-CD3 mAb ranged from 10(-8) to 10(-9) M. Based on these results, a single-chain (sc) construct encoding the CD3delta chain linked to the CD3epsilon chain with a flexible linker followed by human IgG1 Fc was expressed. The sc CD3deltaepsilon-scIg reacted with anti-CD3 mAb without requiring acid treatment. Moreover, anti-CD3 mAb bound CD3epsilondelta-Ig at a higher affinity than CD3epsilongamma-Ig, suggesting potential structural differences between the CD3epsilondelta and CD3epsilongamma subunits. In summary, we report the expression of soluble recombinant CD3 proteins that demonstrate structural characteristics of the native CD3 complex expressed on the T cell surface. These CD3 fusion proteins can be used to further analyze the structure of the TCR-CD3 complex, and to identify molecules that can interfere with TCR-CD3-mediated signal transduction by disrupting the interaction between CD3 and TCR subunits.

Aberrant trafficking of the B cell receptor Ig-alpha beta subunit in a B lymphoma cell line

The B cell Ag receptor (BCR) has two important functions: first, it binds and takes up Ag for presentation to T lymphocytes; and second, it transmits signals that regulate B cell development. Normal expression of the BCR requires the association of the Ag binding subunit, membrane IgM (mIgM), with the signaling component, the Ig-alpha beta heterodimer. After assembly in the endoplasmic reticulum, the intact BCR travels through the secretory pathway to the cell surface. In this paper, we report two variants of the B lymphoma cell lines, WEHI 279 and WEHI 231, that have both lost the ability to express mu heavy chain and consequently do not express mIgM. However, these variants do express the Ig-alpha beta heterodimer. In one variant, WEHI 279*, the Ig-alpha beta remained trapped intracellularly in the absence of mIgM. The other variant, 303.1.5.LM, expressed an aberrantly glycosylated Ig-alpha beta on the cell surface that was capable of signaling after cross-linking with anti-Ig-beta Abs. Further characterization uncovered a point mutation in the 303.1.5.LM mb1 gene that would change a proline for a leucine in the extracellular domain of Ig-alpha. The 303.1.5.LM Ig-alpha beta could not associate with a wild-type mIgM after mu heavy chain was reconstituted by DNA transfection. Thus, this mutation could define a region of the Ig-alpha polypeptide that is important for recognition by the endoplasmic reticulum quality control system, for association with glycosylating enzymes, and for the association of Ig-alpha beta subunits with mIgM subunits to create a complete BCR complex.