Molecular Simulation Study on the Interaction between Porcine CR1-like and C3b

The molecular basis of porcine red blood cell immune adhesion function stems from the complement receptor type 1-like (CR1-like) on its cell membrane. The ligand for CR1-like is C3b, which is produced by the cleavage of complement C3; however, the molecular mechanism of the immune adhesion of porcine erythrocytes is still unclear. Here, homology modeling was used to construct three-dimensional models of C3b and two fragments of CR1-like. An interaction model of C3b-CR1-like was constructed by molecular docking, and molecular structure optimization was achieved using molecular dynamics simulation. A simulated alanine mutation scan revealed that the amino acids Tyr761, Arg763, Phe765, Thr789, and Val873 of CR1-like SCR 12-14 and the amino acid residues Tyr1210, Asn1244, Val1249, Thr1253, Tyr1267, Val1322, and Val1339 of CR1-like SCR 19-21 are key residues involved in the interaction of porcine C3b with CR1-like. This study investigated the interaction between porcine CR1-like and C3b using molecular simulation to clarify the molecular mechanism of the immune adhesion of porcine erythrocytes.

In vitro observation: the GFP-E. coli adhering to porcine erythrocytes can be removed by porcine alveolar macrophages

Although the activation of pathogen phagocytosis via complement system has been studied, erythrocyte-phagocyte interactions in pigs are not clearly understood. Therefore, we sought to investigate the ability of porcine erythrocytes to clear immune complexes (ICs) by using laser confocal microscopy and flow cytometry to observe the immune adhesion of porcine erythrocytes to fluorescent bacilli and the immune presentation process of transferring fluorescent bacilli to macrophages. Isolated porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs) had uniform morphology and size, and a survival rate of 97.2%. The phagocytosis rate was 98.8%. After WT E. coli was labeled with Fluorescein Isothiocyanate (FITC), the bacteria showed a bright green fluorescence, and the labeling rate was 92.3%. When laser confocal microscopy was utilized to observe the co-incubation system of porcine erythrocytes, PAM, and fluorescent E. coli, the fluorescence intensity of bacilli decreased with increasing observation time and even disappeared. Flow Cytometry examination showed that the average fluorescence intensity of PAMs co-incubated with porcine erythrocytes adhered to WT-E. coli-FITC, was significantly higher than that of normal PAMs. Furthermore, when porcine erythrocytes adhered to WT E. coli were incubated with PAMs, the surface mean fluorescence intensity of porcine erythrocytes was significantly higher than that of the blank control group. This shows that PAMs can competitively bind to the oposinized E. coli adhered to the surface of porcine erythrocytes, and these oposinized pathogens can enter macrophages by the process of phagocytosis, which promoting the internalization of ICs or pathogens. During this process, the physical morphology of porcine erythrocytes was not damaged, but the levels of its main functional protein CR1-like were reduced.

Complement receptor activity of recombinant porcine CR1-like protein expressed in a eukaryotic system

Primate complement receptor type 1 (CR1) protein, a single-chain transmembrane glycoprotein, plays an important role in immune adherence and clearing complement-opsonized immune complexes. Here, the mRNA of the porcine primate-like complement receptor (CR1-like) gene was analyzed, and two domain sequences with potential functions were cloned into the pwPICZalpha vector for expression in Pichia pastoris. The recombinant proteins were purified with both Protein Pure Ni-NTA resin and strong anion exchange resin. The activities of the purified recombinant proteins were evaluated by SDS-PAGE, western blotting, and complement receptor assays. The results indicated that two domains of the CR1-like protein, CCP36 and CCP811 with molecular weights of 29.8 kDa and 30 kDa, respectively, were successfully expressed in P. pastoris. These two recombinant proteins possess some of the functions of the primate CR1 protein. Using these two proteins coupled with an antibody blocking technique, we also showed that CR1-like is expressed on natural porcine erythrocytes.