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*
Veterinary Molecular Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717; and
Department of Immunology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710
| Abstract |
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| Introduction |
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L-Selectin is constitutively expressed on most circulating leukocytes, but is uniquely regulated when the cell becomes activated. After activation of lymphocytes or myeloid cells with chemotactic factors or phorbol esters, there is a rapid increase in functional avidity (13) which, under most circumstances, is followed by proteolytic cleavage of the protein from the cell surface (14, 15, 16). The basis for the increased functional activity in L-selectin immediately after activation of the leukocyte is poorly understood. It may be due to phosphorylation of L-selectin or other proteins, dimerization, hyperthermic conditions, cytoskeletal association of L-selectin through its cytoplasmic tail, or conformational changes in the protein (17, 18, 19, 20). Endoproteolytic release of L-selectin from the surface of leukocytes is regulated by structural features of the L-selectin protein (21, 22). Calmodulin, an intracellular calcium-regulatory protein, specifically coprecipitates with L-selectin through a direct association with the cytoplasmic tail, and calmodulin inhibitors disrupt L-selectin-dependent adhesion by inducing proteolytic release of L-selectin from the cell surface (23).
Many reports suggest that L-selectin can also function as a signal transduction molecule. Cross-linking of human L-selectin with mAbs leads to neutrophil activation as measured by Ca2+ flux, superoxide generation, increased adhesiveness, and activation of intracellular protein pathways, such as tyrosine phosphorylation and mitogen-activated protein (MAP)4 kinase production (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29). Cross-linking of L-selectin also potentiates the response of neutrophils to formyl peptides (30). In most studies, cross-linking of L-selectin by primary anti-L-selectin mAb followed by a secondary reagent is requisite for signaling, although important exceptions exist. For example, signaling through L-selectin can also be induced by sulfatides, which bind L-selectin (31). Further, a mAb directed against a highly conserved region of L-selectin can signal and cause increased adhesion of lymphoid cells transfected with human L-selectin cDNA, neutrophils, and lymphocytes, in the absence of a cross-linking secondary Ab (32). Therefore, it is clear that L-selectin can act as a signaling molecule under certain conditions.
The cytoplasmic tail of L-selectin is vital to its function during
leukocyte rolling and adhesion (33). Deletion mutants
lacking the carboxyl-terminal 11 amino acids of the cytoplasmic tail of
L-selectin do not bind to high endothelial venules (HEV) and do not
establish rolling interactions in vivo (33). Subsequent
work demonstrated a direct link between the cytoplasmic tail of
L-selectin and the cytoskeletal proteins
-actinin and vinculin
(34); recently, L-selectin was shown to associate
dynamically with the cytoskeleton (20). Ab cross-linking,
hyperthermic treatment, and ligand binding studies demonstrate that the
cytoplasmic tail is important to the function of L-selectin by
regulating linkage to the actin cytoskeleton through direct binding of
the cytoplasmic tail (20). However, the nature of the
linkage has not been clearly shown, and it is not known what
predisposes L-selectin to associate with the cytoskeleton.
Here, we have examined the effect of treating leukocytes with anti-L-selectin mAbs that recognize highly conserved and functionally important epitopes on L-selectin expression. We show that one mAb (LAM1-116), which binds an epitope in the lectin domain (32), causes a structural change in human, bovine, and ovine L-selectin in the absence of cellular activation that is detected by increased staining of a second anti-L-selectin mAb, EL-246. The induced conformation predisposes L-selectin to associate with the detergent-resistant cytoskeleton when the EL-246 epitope is engaged. Because both mAbs bind functional epitopes on L-selectin, this type of structural regulation may be important in L-selectin function.
| Materials and Methods |
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Holstein calves, 1 wk to 3 mo old, and 18-mo-old sheep, housed in the Montana State University large animal facility, and healthy human donors were used as sources of peripheral blood, which was collected by venipuncture into citrate or heparin anticoagulant tubes as previously described (35). Total leukocytes were harvested using a hypotonic solution for 10 s followed by rapid dilution in either HBSS or PBS (Sigma, St. Louis, MO) and centrifuged at 200 x g for 5 min. The process was repeated as necessary to rid preparations of RBC.
Monoclonal Abs
The following mAbs were used. Anti-L-selectin mAbs included DREG
55, DREG 56, DREG 110, DREG 152, and DREG 200 (36);
LAM1-1, LAM1-5, LAM1-101, LAM1-102, LAM1-104, LAM1-108, LAM1-110,
LAM1-115, LAM1-116, LAM1-118, LAM1-119, LAM1-120, LAM1-126
(32); EL-246, and GD 4.22 (7, 35); and Leu-8
(Becton Dickinson, Mountain View, CA). Anti-CD18 mAbs included R15.7
(gift from R. Rothlein, Boehringer Ingelheim, Ridgefield, CT),
IB4 (American Type Culture Collection (ATCC), Manassas, VA: ATCC
HB-10164), and MHM-23 (Dako, Carpinteria, CA). Anti-CD11b mAb Leu-15
(Becton Dickinson) was also used. Other mAbs included HECA 452
(anti-CLA (37)), Hermes-3 {anti-CD44
(38)), GD 3.5 (anti-
T cell (unknown 
T
cell-specific marker (39)), GD 3.8 (anti-
TCR
(40)), and EL-112 (anti-E-selectin
(41)).
Cell lines
The mouse pre-B 300.19 cells transfected with either full length
human L-selectin cDNA (300.19/L-selectin) or a deletion mutant lacking
the carboxyl-terminal 11 amino acid residues of the cytoplasmic domain
(300.19/L
cyto) have been previously described (33). The
selectin transfectants used in the Ab mapping studies were described
elsewhere (41).
Flow cytometry of non-detergent-treated cells
Isolation of leukocytes and flow cytometric analysis were as described (35, 42). Briefly, 1 x 106 leukocytes were incubated with 1 µg LAM1-116 or other mAbs at 37°C or 4°C, or in the presence of 10100 mM sodium azide (Sigma), 1100 mM herbimycin A (Calbiochem, La Jolla, CA), genistein (Calbiochem), or calpeptin (Calbiochem) for 15 min, or buffer alone. After incubation with mAb, the cells were placed on ice and FITC-conjugated (Molecular Probes, Eugene, OR) EL-246, biotin-conjugated (Pierce, Rockford IL) EL-246, or other FITC- or PE-conjugated mAbs were added. Cells were incubated with mAbs for 30 min on ice and washed in PBS with horse serum (FACS buffer), and staining measured on either a FACScan or FACSCalibur (Becton Dickinson, Mountain View, CA). Data were collected from 10,000 cells, and mode fluorescence staining values were reported in table form or as representative histograms. L-Selectin levels were also measured by an indirect stain on the 300.19 L-selectin transfectants, as described (35). LAM1-116 and DREG 56 Fab treatment of leukocytes were performed as above.
Flow cytometry of detergent-solubilized cells
Flow cytometric analysis of L-selectin association with the detergent-insoluble cytoskeleton was as described (43, 44), with minor exceptions. Specifically, leukocytes were harvested and isolated as described above and incubated with LAM1-116 or other anti-L-selectin mAbs at 37°C for 15 min. The cells were washed in FACS buffer and either treated with another anti-L-selectin mAb for 15 min at 37°C, or treated directly with 0.5% Nonidet P-40 lysis buffer (150 mM NaCl, 2 mM CaCl2, 2 mM MgCl2, 10 mM HEPES, 2% goat serum, 0.5% Nonidet P-40) for 15 min at room temperature in the absence of Ab cross-linking, as described (44). Mock buffer without Nonidet P-40 was used as a control. The cells were washed in FACS buffer and incubated with PE-labeled goat anti-mouse F(ab')2 (Jackson ImmunoResearch Laboratories, West Grove, PA) for 30 min on ice. Staining was measured by gating on the detergent-insoluble cytoskeletal fraction using forward and side scatter. The gated population was confirmed by phalloidin-FITC (Sigma), which specifically stains the detergent-insoluble cytoskeleton (44).
Generation of LAM1-116 and DREG 56 Fab
Monovalent Fab were generated from whole IgG molecules by papain digestion with the ImmunoPure Fab Preparation Kit from Pierce, per manufacturers instructions. To confirm Fab production, 8% SDS-PAGE gels were run under nonreducing and reducing conditions, and molecular mass was determined by Coomassie stain. In some cases, the Fab preparation was also incubated with protein G beads (Boehringer Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany) to reduce the levels of contaminating Fc fragments.
Phase contrast fluorescence microscopy
Bovine lymphocytes were isolated as described (39), treated with mAbs, incubated with 0.5% Nonidet P-40 lysis buffer for 10 min at room temperature, and stained with PE-labeled goat anti-mouse F(ab')2 (Jackson ImmunoResearch) secondary Ab on ice for 30 min. Cells were washed in FACS buffer and incubated with phalloidin-FITC (Sigma) for 20 min on ice. Cells were washed a final time in FACS buffer and placed in 16-well, LabTek glass chamber slides (Nunc, Naperville, IL) for microscopic examination. Fluorescent microscopy was performed using a super high pressure mercury lamp power supply (Nikon, Melville, NY) model HB-1013AF, linked to a Nikon inverted microscope (Eclipse TE300), and digital data captured using a Spot digital imaging system (Diagnostic Instruments, Sterling Heights, MI). Results were visualized at x400 magnification. The fluorescence micrographs were representative examples of four separate experiments and are sorted into phalloidin-FITC positive (cytoskeletal) and PE-positive (L-selectin) micrographs.
Immunoprecipitation of L-selectin and densitometric analysis of band intensities
mAb EL-246 was covalently linked to activated cyanogen bromide (CNBr) Sepharose 4B beads (Pharmacia, Uppsala, Sweden), which were then blocked with 1 M glycine at 25°C for 3 h (45). Bovine lymphocytes were surface labeled with biotin (Pierce) as described (39), and detergent lysates were prepared from these cells. The preparations were incubated with unlabeled CNBr beads for 2 h at 25°C as a preclearing step (39). The lysates were drained from the CNBr columns and incubated without mAb, or with LAM1-116, other anti-L-selectin mAbs, or irrelevant mAbs at 37°C for 15 min. After incubation, equal quantities of EL-246-labeled CNBr beads were added to each lysate, and L-selectin was immunoprecipitated either at 4°C overnight or at 37°C for 2.5 h. The precipitated beads were washed three times with wash buffer (45), mixed with reducing or nonreducing buffer, boiled for 3 min, and loaded directly onto an 8% polyacrylamide gel. Gels were electrophoresed, and the proteins were transferred to a polyvinylidine difluoride membrane (Bio-Rad, Hercules, CA) overnight at 4°C. Proteins were visualized using a streptavidin HRP (Amersham, Little Chalfont, U.K.) reaction and ECL detection system (Amersham) and developed on X-OMAT (Kodak, Rochester, NY) film. Densitometric analysis was performed on the intensity of the immunoprecipitated L-selectin bands, which were identical with the L-selectin positive control (GD4.22) using 1-D MULTI on an Alpha Innotech IS-1000 Digital Imaging System. Protein G (Boehringer Mannheim) immunoprecipitation using anti-L-selectin mAb GD 4.22 was used as a positive control for L-selectin immunoprecipitation, as described (39). A comparison of bands that resulted from the EL-246 precipitation of the various treated lysates, which were developed under identical exposure times, is shown.
| Results |
|---|
|
|
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Pretreatment of human neutrophils or bovine lymphocytes with mAb
LAM1-116 at 37°C for 15 min enhanced the subsequent staining of
L-selectin by FITC-labeled EL-246 mAb, as measured by flow cytometric
analysis (Fig. 1
). The same effect was
seen with all leukocyte cell types tested from humans, cattle, and
sheep (data not shown). The increased staining by EL-246 after
leukocyte treatment with the LAM1-116 mAb was dose dependent with 1
µg/L LAM1-116 mAb giving optimal results (data not shown).
Importantly, the increase in EL-246 staining was not due to increased
expression of L-selectin protein, because the staining of four other
FITC- or PE-labeled anti-L-selectin mAbs was unaffected (Fig. 2
A). This effect was also
detected by EL-246 labeled with biotin (Table I
). Moving human or bovine leukocytes
from 4°C to 37°C for 15 min greatly reduced the staining of
L-selectin by EL-246 in the absence of L-selectin shedding (Table I
,
and data not shown). In contrast, staining by other anti-L-selectin
mAbs was not altered by this treatment (data not shown). Binding
studies with biotinylated EL-246 demonstrated that EL-246 did not bind
to LAM1-116 (data not shown).
|
|
|

T cells) and GD 3.8
(anti-
TCR). None of the other anti-L-selectin mAbs or
other mAbs listed above induced an increase in EL-246 staining (Fig. 2
TCR) Abs were added along with FITC-labeled EL-246 as
above. The addition of excess unlabeled EL-246 mAb effectively blocked
the staining of FITC-labeled EL-246 (Table ILAM1-116 Fab also induced an increase in expression of the EL-246 epitope
To determine whether intact LAM1-116 was requisite for enhanced
EL-246 reactivity, a Fab of LAM1-116 was generated by papain digestion,
as described in Materials and Methods. The Fab of LAM1-116
was able to enhance EL-246 epitope expression, although to a lesser
extent than the whole IgG Ab (Fig. 3
).
These data suggested that LAM1-116 did not induce cross-linking of
adjacent L-selectin molecules given that monovalent Fab do not have a
second binding site needed for effective cross-linking. The larger
increase in EL-246 staining seen with the IgG was likely due to the
ability of dual binding sites to act on L-selectin and enhance the
EL-246 epitope more effectively. To ensure the specificity of the
LAM1-116 Fab interaction, Fab of DREG 56 mAb were generated; and
although the Ab preparations stained L-selectin, they did not increase
EL-246 reactivity in parallel assays (data not shown).
|
Tyrosine kinase activity may play a role in the function of
L-selectin (25). To address whether tyrosine kinases
are involved in up-regulation of the EL-246 epitope, we tested the
effects of two tyrosine kinase inhibitors, herbimycin A and genistein,
to see whether they could block the increased presentation of the
EL-246 epitope in the presence of the LAM1-116 mAb. As shown in Table I
, neither herbimycin A or genistein blocked the LAM1-116 enhancement
of the EL-246 epitope. No inhibition of EL-246 epitope enhancement was
seen over a concentration range of 1100 mM of each inhibitor. Thus,
tyrosine kinase activity seems to have no role in the conformational
change induced in L-selectin by the LAM1-116 mAb. To further
investigate whether other signaling events in the cell were responsible
for the up-regulation of the EL-246 epitope, studies were undertaken at
4°C, and in the presence of sodium azide, which blocks electron
transport and eventual ATP production. Both treatments had no
inhibitory effect on the ability of LAM1-116 to induce the conformation
that increases the expression of the EL-246 epitope (Table I
).
Therefore, enhancement of the EL-246 epitope was not dependent on
common signaling events.
Expression of the EL-246 epitope on recombinant selectins generated by exchanging different domains of L-, E-, and P-selectin
EL-246 mAb recognizes a conserved epitope on both E- and
L-selectin. Initial mapping studies using chimeric selectins
comprised of L- and P-selectin extracellular domains suggested that the
short consensus repeat (SCR) domain of L-selectin was important for
optimal EL-246 mAb binding (35). Additional chimeric
selectin molecules were generated, expressed, and analyzed for EL-246
staining to gain further insight into the nature of the EL-246 epitope.
As expected, EL-246 bound recombinant L and E-selectin (Table II
, LLL and EEE), but not P-selectin
(data not shown). However, staining of multiple chimeric molecules,
generated by swapping different domains of each selectin, revealed that
the EL-246 epitope on L-selectin is unlikely to be primarily dependent
on protein sequences provided by its respective domains. For example,
EL-246 failed to stain a transfectant expressing the lectin domain of
P-selectin, and epidermal growth factor (EGF) and SCR domains of
L-selectin, as well as other chimeras with different selectin domains
(Table II
, PLL, LLP, and LEE). EL-246 was preferentially reactive with
E-selectin over L-selectin, as originally reported (35, 42), because EL-246 reactivity with EEL was 7-fold higher than
reactivity with LLL, whereas EEL and LLL were bound similarly by a mAb
that binds the SCR domains of L-selectin (Table II
). Reactivity with
E-selectin followed expression of the lectin domain, although the
constructs also contained the EGF and SCR domains of either L- or
E-selectin. For example, all three E-selectin transfectants were
stained brightly by EL-246 (ELL, EEL, and EEE). Highest reactivity was
seen when the L-selectin SCR domain was combined with the E-selectin
lectin and EGF domains (EEL). However, because of the structural
conservation between all of the selectins, it was not possible to rule
out the prospect that sequences within domains other than the lectin
domain also contributed to mAb specificity. Nonetheless, these results
are consistent with the EL-246 mAb requiring an appropriate
conformation for binding to either E- or L-selectin.
|
Cyto transfectants lacking an intact cytoplasmic
tail
Because the EL-246 epitope appears to require a unique
conformation of L-selectin, we tested whether an intact cytoplasmic
tail domain, which can link to the cytoskeleton, was required for
optimal staining. L-Selectin transfectants that lack the
carboxyl-terminal 11 amino acids of the cytoplasmic tail domain
(L
Cyto) of L-selectin do not bind to HEV in vitro, nor do they
exhibit rolling interactions in vivo in exteriorized rat mesenteric
venules, suggesting that the cytoplasmic domain of L-selectin regulates
leukocyte adhesion by controlling cytoskeletal interactions and/or
receptor avidity (33). Staining of the EL-246 epitope on
L-selectin in the L
Cyto vs the wild-type L-selectin transfectants
was reduced (Fig. 4A
). Indeed, EL-246
staining of the majority of the L
Cyto mutant cells fell below the
upper threshold of background staining. In comparison, LAM1-116
staining of the L
Cyto mutants remained high (Fig. 4
B). To
test whether or not LAM1-116 could enhance the expression of the EL-246
epitope on the cytoplasmic tail mutants, the mutants were pretreated
with LAM1-116 parallel to the studies described above. Interestingly,
EL-246 epitope expression could be enhanced by LAM1-116 pretreatment on
both the wild-type and the L
Cyto mutants (Fig. 5
). There was a dramatic up-regulation of
the EL-246 epitope on the cytoplasmic tail mutants as the EL-246
epitope expression increased well beyond the minimal staining levels
seen in Fig. 4
. These data suggest that an intact cytoplasmic tail of
L-selectin is not needed for the LAM1-116 induction of the
conformational change that increases EL-246 epitope expression.
|
|
Recently, L-selectin was shown to associate dynamically with the actin cytoskeleton under a variety of conditions (20). Using a similar approach as these authors, we examined the effect of EL-246 and LAM1-116 on the association of L-selectin with the detergent (0.5% Nonidet P-40)-resistant cytoskeleton. Specifically, cells were treated with primary anti-L-selectin mAbs as described in Materials and Methods, subjected to 0.5% Nonidet P-40 buffer and L-selectin staining of the detergent-insoluble cytoskeleton visualized by goat F(ab')2 anti-mouse Ab labeled with PE. Thus, if cytoskeletal association of L-selectin was detected, it was due to a direct effect of the mAbs on L-selectin and not to cross-linking because the cells were treated with detergent before the addition of the secondary Abs. This is in contrast to the recent report by Evans and colleagues in which cross-linking by second stage Ab was a prerequisite for Ab-induced cytoskeletal association of L-selectin (20).
Treatment of human and bovine lymphocytes with the LAM1-116 or the
EL-246 mAbs alone did not induce association of L-selectin with the
detergent-resistant cytoskeleton (Fig. 6
A). However, in the presence
of LAM1-116, EL-246 induced L-selectin association with the
cytoskeleton without subsequent cross-linking of the surface protein
(Fig. 6
B). Other anti-L-selectin mAbs tested did not
induce L-selectin association in tandem with LAM1-116 mAb treatment,
suggesting that EL-246 mAb-induced cytoskeletal association was
specific to the LAM1-116/EL-246 interaction with L-selectin (data not
shown). Cross-linking studies parallel to those done by Evans
et al. did show L-selectin cytoskeletal association, but the
association was no more dramatic than LAM1-116/EL-246 Ab treatment
alone (data not shown and Ref. 20).
|
|
To test whether or not the intact leukocyte was needed for a
conformational change to take place in the L-selectin protein, bovine
lymphocytes were surface labeled with biotin, and detergent lysates
were prepared. The biotin-labeled lysates were divided into fractions,
which were treated with the LAM1-116 mAb, DREG 56 mAb, a negative
control mAb Ab, EL-112, or no Ab at all for 15 min at 37°C. The
treated lysates were then immunoprecipitated with EL-246 covalently
attached to Sepharose 4B beads at either 4°C or 37°C and
electrophoresed under reducing and nonreducing conditions. As shown in
Fig. 8a
, lane 8, EL-246
weakly immunoprecipitated L-selectin from control lysates analyzed
under nonreducing conditions. In contrast, treatment of lysates with
LAM1-116 increased the amount of L-selectin subsequently
immunoprecipitated by EL-246 (lane 7) when compared with
another anti-L-selectin mAb DREG 56 and the negative control, an
irrelevant, isotype-matched mAb, EL-112 (Fig. 8
A, lanes
57). Similar results were seen when the immunoprecipitated
proteins were analyzed under reducing conditions, although the
background was higher under these conditions (lanes
14). Protein G bead immunoprecipitation of L-selectin with
anti-L-selectin mAb GD 4.22 (anti-bovine L-selectin) was used
as a control for L-selectin precipitation (Fig. 8
A,
lane 9). All lanes are from a single gel at the same
exposure. EL-246 precipitation of L-selectin also resulted in other
bands, seemingly distinct from L-selectin. Similar bands were also
precipitated with DREG 56 (Fig. 8
A, lane
6).
|
| Discussion |
|---|
|
|
|---|
As stated previously, EL-246 recognizes a conserved epitope on both L-selectin and E-selectin (35). Past mapping studies using L-selectin/P-selectin chimeras suggested that the EL-246 epitope requires the SCR domains, as well as the lectin domain, for optimal Ab binding (35). At that time, it was proposed that the EL-246 epitope was possibly contained within the L-selectin SCR domains. These studies were extended here, and we now show that none of the domains of L-selectin can, by themselves, confer the EL-246 epitope. Staining of a number of recombinant selectins containing different domains of L-, E-, and P-selectin show that optimal presentation of the EL-246 epitope requires the correct spatial orientation of the protein, obviously requiring the SCR and lectin domains of E- or L-selectin, and can be enhanced with LAM1-116 binding of L-selectin.
Recently, studies have been done that analyze L-selectin function
within the cell. Studies done by Pavalko et al. (34) first
described a linkage between the cytoplasmic tail of L-selectin and
cytoskeletal proteins, and this observation was shown to be
functionally important in intact cells by Evans et al.
(20). The latter was the first report of dynamic
cytoskeletal association of L-selectin with the actin cytoskeleton,
presumably by a linkage of
-actinin with the cytoplasmic tail of
L-selectin and the actin cytoskeleton. Our studies show that the
conformation-induced change in L-selectin, caused by LAM1-116,
predisposes the protein to associate with the detergent-resistant
cytoskeleton, which is triggered by EL-246 (Figs. 6
and 7
). Thus, we
have expanded on the data presented by Evans et al. and demonstrate
that a specific conformation of L-selectin predisposes the protein to
cytoskeletal association in the absence of cross-linking (Figs. 6
and 7
; Ref. 20). We propose that this conformational change
regulates L-selectin such that a high affinity binding epitope, the
EL-246 epitope, is increased in expression and that when this epitope
is engaged dynamic cytoskeletal association takes place. These data
parallel other reports of conformation playing a role in L-selectin
function. Studies on L-selectin shedding have shown that the cleavage
site recognized by the membrane-bound metalloprotease has relaxed
sequence specificity, suggesting that the conformation of L-selectin is
the most important factor in protease recognition and that this
conformation may be regulated by the presence of calmodulin binding to
the cytoplasmic tail (21, 22, 23).
As stated earlier, others have shown that L-selectin can act as a signal transduction molecule (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32). However, a signaling event through L-selectin is not responsible for the increased binding of EL-246 to L-selectin. The event occurs at 4°C and in the presence of sodium azide and tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Furthermore, LAM1-116 increased the expression of the EL-246 epitope on L-selectin in detergent lysates. This latter finding is important because EL-246 does not recognize shed, soluble L-selectin very well and is, generally, a poorly immunoprecipitating Ab (M. A. Jutila, unpublished observation). A previous report by Schleiffenbaum et al. (46) has shown that soluble L-selectin is conformationally distinct from cell surface L-selectin which may be the reason for poor L-selectin immunoprecipitation by EL-246, although EL-246 binding was not tested in their study. LAM1-116 likely alters this distinct conformation of soluble L-selectin through a direct change in or, perhaps, aggregation or clustering of the molecule. If aggregation occurred, increased coprecipitation of nonspecifically associated molecules with the aggregates could have resulted, although it has been shown that LAM1-116 does not cause dimerization of L-selectin and most likely does not cause clustering (18). However, what these observations clearly show is that the cell is not needed for the enhancement of EL-246 reactivity with L-selectin and that a cellular signal is not required for increased presentation of the EL-246 epitope. Thus, if our hypothesis is correct, overt cellular signaling may not be needed for increased functional activity of L-selectin as others have proposed.
The cytoplasmic tail of L-selectin is important for adhesive events
including leukocyte rolling, receptor avidity, and cytoskeletal
association of L-selectin (20, 33). Thus, we tested
whether or not the expression of specific epitopes on L-selectin are
regulated by the cytoplasmic tail. In comparison with wild-type
L-selectin transfectant staining, EL-246 staining of L
Cyto
L-selectin was reduced to minimal levels (Figs. 4
and 5
). In contrast,
staining of the LAM1-116 epitope on the L
Cyto transfectants remained
high (Fig. 4
B). However, in the presence of LAM1-116, the
EL-246 epitope could be enhanced on the L
Cyto transfectants (Fig. 5
), suggesting that an intact cytoplasmic tail is not required for the
conformational change induced in L-selectin and the subsequent increase
in the EL-246 epitope expression.
On the basis of our data, we propose that initial engagement with
ligand induces a conformational change in L-selectin, leading to
exposure of a high avidity binding site (EL-246 epitope) for the
original ligand, or possibly a second ligand, to bind and induce
stronger tethers and slower rolling. In effect, our data also suggest
that LAM1-116 binding to L-selectin may make it more
"E-selectin-like." E-selectin is an inducible member of the
selectin family of adhesion molecules and is expressed on the cell
surface at its highest levels 46 h after an activation signal, such
as TNF-
. It is synthesized de novo after activation and is expressed
in a functional form that allows immediate capture of leukocytes from
the bloodstream. After the primary activation signal on the
endothelium, no further activation is needed to mediate E-selectin
capture of leukocytes. E-selectin mediates a more avid interaction than
L-selectin, because leukocyte rolling is slower on the former in
assays done under similar shear forces (47). In vivo, L-
and E-selectin can recognize the same naturally occurring ligands on
HEV (48, 49). Past studies in our laboratory have
demonstrated that moving E-selectin-expressing cells to 37°C does not
decrease EL-246 mAb staining. In addition, EL-246 preferentially binds
to E-selectin vs L-selectin in competitive binding assays
(42). If this model is correct, it could explain why
EL-246 is effective as a therapeutic agent during ischemia and
reperfusion injury, as well as other shear-dependent events
(50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55). Presently, we are not able to functionally test
the hypothesis that LAM1-116 induces higher ligand binding avidity,
because both mAbs (LAM1-116 and EL-246) and native ligand block the
function of L-selectin. However, studies are under way comparing
binding affinities of EL-246 for E-selectin and LAM1-116-bound
L-selectin.
Here, we report that a conformational change in L-selectin induced by an artificial ligand may play an important regulatory role in the molecular interaction of L-selectin with its ligands and predisposes the protein to cytoskeletal association upon engagement of a second functionally important epitope. The functional importance of the conformational change described is currently under investigation. Our report provides additional insight into the structural features of L-selectin and may lead to a better understanding of L-selectin/ligand interactions.
| Acknowledgments |
|---|
| Footnotes |
|---|
2 Current address: Center for Biofilm Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717. ![]()
3 Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Mark A. Jutila, Department of Veterinary Molecular Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717. ![]()
4 Abbreviations used in this paper: MAP, mitogen-activated protein; HEV, high endothelial venules; SCR, short consensus repeat; EGF, epidermal growth factor. ![]()
Received for publication July 14, 2000. Accepted for publication February 14, 2001.
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T cells bind E-selectin via a novel glycoprotein receptor: first characterization of a lymphocyte/E-selectin interaction in an animal model. J. Exp. Med. 178:853.This article has been cited by other articles:
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