1
|
Bláha J, Skálová T, Kalousková B, Skořepa O, Cmunt D, Grobárová V, Pazicky S, Poláchová E, Abreu C, Stránský J, Kovaľ T, Dušková J, Zhao Y, Harlos K, Hašek J, Dohnálek J, Vaněk O. Structure of the human NK cell NKR-P1:LLT1 receptor:ligand complex reveals clustering in the immune synapse. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5022. [PMID: 36028489 PMCID: PMC9418145 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32577-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Signaling by the human C-type lectin-like receptor, natural killer (NK) cell inhibitory receptor NKR-P1, has a critical role in many immune-related diseases and cancer. C-type lectin-like receptors have weak affinities to their ligands; therefore, setting up a comprehensive model of NKR-P1-LLT1 interactions that considers the natural state of the receptor on the cell surface is necessary to understand its functions. Here we report the crystal structures of the NKR-P1 and NKR-P1:LLT1 complexes, which provides evidence that NKR-P1 forms homodimers in an unexpected arrangement to enable LLT1 binding in two modes, bridging two LLT1 molecules. These interaction clusters are suggestive of an inhibitory immune synapse. By observing the formation of these clusters in solution using SEC-SAXS analysis, by dSTORM super-resolution microscopy on the cell surface, and by following their role in receptor signaling with freshly isolated NK cells, we show that only the ligation of both LLT1 binding interfaces leads to effective NKR-P1 inhibitory signaling. In summary, our findings collectively support a model of NKR-P1:LLT1 clustering, which allows the interacting proteins to overcome weak ligand-receptor affinity and to trigger signal transduction upon cellular contact in the immune synapse. NKR-P1 is an inhibitory receptor on the surface of natural killer cells, and its engagement with the ligand LLT1 on activated monocytes and B cells triggers NK cell self-tolerance and other immunological processes. Here authors set up a comprehensive, structure-based model of NKR-P1-LLT1 interaction that involves NKR-P1 homodimer formation and subsequent bridging of two LLT1 molecules.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jan Bláha
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Hlavova 2030, 12800, Prague, Czech Republic.,EMBL, Hamburg Unit c/o DESY, Notkestrasse 85, 22607, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Tereza Skálová
- Institute of Biotechnology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, BIOCEV Centre, Průmyslová 595, 25250, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Barbora Kalousková
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Hlavova 2030, 12800, Prague, Czech Republic.,Institute of Applied Physics - Biophysics group, TU Wien, Getreidemarkt 9, 1060, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ondřej Skořepa
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Hlavova 2030, 12800, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Denis Cmunt
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Hlavova 2030, 12800, Prague, Czech Republic.,Department of Oncology, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of Lausanne, Chemin des Boveresses 155, 1066, Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Valéria Grobárová
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 12800, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Samuel Pazicky
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Hlavova 2030, 12800, Prague, Czech Republic.,School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Nanyang Drive 60, 637551, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Edita Poláchová
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Hlavova 2030, 12800, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Celeste Abreu
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Hlavova 2030, 12800, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Stránský
- Institute of Biotechnology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, BIOCEV Centre, Průmyslová 595, 25250, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Kovaľ
- Institute of Biotechnology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, BIOCEV Centre, Průmyslová 595, 25250, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Jarmila Dušková
- Institute of Biotechnology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, BIOCEV Centre, Průmyslová 595, 25250, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Yuguang Zhao
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, OX3 7BN, Oxford, UK
| | - Karl Harlos
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, OX3 7BN, Oxford, UK
| | - Jindřich Hašek
- Institute of Biotechnology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, BIOCEV Centre, Průmyslová 595, 25250, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Dohnálek
- Institute of Biotechnology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, BIOCEV Centre, Průmyslová 595, 25250, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Vaněk
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Hlavova 2030, 12800, Prague, Czech Republic.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Vaněk O, Kalousková B, Abreu C, Nejadebrahim S, Skořepa O. Natural killer cell-based strategies for immunotherapy of cancer. ADVANCES IN PROTEIN CHEMISTRY AND STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY 2022; 129:91-133. [PMID: 35305726 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apcsb.2022.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are a family of lymphocytes with a natural ability to kill infected, harmed, or malignantly transformed cells. As these cells are part of the innate immunity, the cytotoxic mechanisms are activated upon recognizing specific patterns without prior antigen sensitization. This recognition is crucial for NK cell function in the maintenance of homeostasis and immunosurveillance. NK cells not only act directly toward malignant cells but also participate in the complex immune response by producing cytokines or cross-talk with other immune cells. Cancer may be seen as a break of all immune defenses when malignant cells escape the immunity and invade surrounding tissues creating a microenvironment supporting tumor progression. This process may be reverted by intervening immune response with immunotherapy, which may restore immune recognition. NK cells are important effector cells for immunotherapy. They may be used for adoptive cell transfer, genetically modified with chimeric antigen receptors, or triggered with appropriate antibodies and other antibody-fragment-based recombinant therapeutic proteins tailored specifically for NK cell engagement. NK cell receptors, responsible for target recognition and activation of cytotoxic response, could also be targeted in immunotherapy, for example, by various bi-, tri-, or multi-specific fusion proteins designed to bridge the gap between tumor markers present on target cells and activation receptors expressed on NK cells. However, this kind of immunoactive therapeutics may be developed only with a deep functional and structural knowledge of NK cell receptor: ligand interactions. This review describes the recent developments in the fascinating protein-engineering field of NK cell immunotherapeutics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ondřej Vaněk
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Barbora Kalousková
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Celeste Abreu
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Shiva Nejadebrahim
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Skořepa
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Rozbeský D, Ivanova L, Hernychová L, Grobárová V, Novák P, Černý J. Nkrp1 family, from lectins to protein interacting molecules. Molecules 2015; 20:3463-78. [PMID: 25690298 PMCID: PMC6272133 DOI: 10.3390/molecules20023463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2014] [Revised: 02/06/2015] [Accepted: 02/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The C-type lectin-like receptors include the Nkrp1 protein family that regulates the activity of natural killer (NK) cells. Rat Nkrp1a was reported to bind monosaccharide moieties in a Ca2+-dependent manner in preference order of GalNac > GlcNAc >> Fuc >> Gal > Man. These findings established for rat Nkrp1a have been extrapolated to all additional Nkrp1 receptors and have been supported by numerous studies over the past two decades. However, since 1996 there has been controversy and another article showed lack of interactions with saccharides in 1999. Nevertheless, several high affinity saccharide ligands were synthesized in order to utilize their potential in antitumor therapy. Subsequently, protein ligands were introduced as specific binders for Nkrp1 proteins and three dimensional models of receptor/protein ligand interaction were derived from crystallographic data. Finally, for at least some members of the NK cell C-type lectin-like proteins, the “sweet story” was impaired by two reports in recent years. It has been shown that the rat Nkrp1a and CD69 do not bind saccharide ligands such as GlcNAc, GalNAc, chitotetraose and saccharide derivatives (GlcNAc-PAMAM) do not directly and specifically influence cytotoxic activity of NK cells as it was previously described.
Collapse
MESH Headings
- Animals
- Antigens, CD/chemistry
- Antigens, CD/immunology
- Antigens, CD/metabolism
- Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte/chemistry
- Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte/immunology
- Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte/metabolism
- Humans
- Killer Cells, Natural/chemistry
- Killer Cells, Natural/immunology
- Killer Cells, Natural/metabolism
- Lectins, C-Type/chemistry
- Lectins, C-Type/immunology
- Lectins, C-Type/metabolism
- Male
- NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily B/chemistry
- NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily B/immunology
- NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily B/metabolism
- Oligosaccharides/chemistry
- Oligosaccharides/immunology
- Oligosaccharides/metabolism
- Protein Structure, Tertiary
- Rats
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Rozbeský
- Institute of Microbiology, v.v.i., Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Vídeňská 1083, Prague 414220, Czech Republic.
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Hlavova 8, Prague 212843, Czech Republic.
| | - Ljubina Ivanova
- Institute of Microbiology, v.v.i., Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Vídeňská 1083, Prague 414220, Czech Republic.
| | - Lucie Hernychová
- Institute of Microbiology, v.v.i., Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Vídeňská 1083, Prague 414220, Czech Republic.
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, Prague 212843, Czech Republic.
| | - Valéria Grobárová
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, Prague 212843, Czech Republic.
| | - Petr Novák
- Institute of Microbiology, v.v.i., Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Vídeňská 1083, Prague 414220, Czech Republic.
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Hlavova 8, Prague 212843, Czech Republic.
| | - Jan Černý
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, Prague 212843, Czech Republic.
| |
Collapse
|