title: Neutralizing monoclonal antibodies define two different functional sites in human interleukin-4.
abstract: Human interleukin-4 (IL-4) is a small four-helix-bundle protein which is essential for organizing defense reactions against macroparasites, in particular helminths. Human IL-4 also appears to exert a pathophysiological role during various IgE-mediated allergic diseases. Seven different monoclonal antibodies neutralizing the activity of human IL-4 were studied in order to identify functionally important epitopes. A collection of 41 purified IL-4 variants was used to analyse how defined amino acid replacements affect binding affinity for each individual mAb. Specific amino acid positions could be assigned to four different epitopes. mAbs recognizing epitopes on helix A and/or C interfered with IL-4 receptor binding and thus inhibited IL-4 function. However, other mAbs also inhibiting IL-4 function recognized an epitope on helix D of IL-4 and did not inhibit IL-4 binding to the receptor protein. One mAb, recognizing N-terminal and C-terminal residues, partially competed for binding to the receptor. The results of these mAb epitope analyses confirm and extend previous data on the functional consequences of the amino acid replacements which showed that amino acid residues in helices A and C of IL-4 provide a binding site for the cloned IL-4 receptor and that a signalling site in helix D interacts with a further receptor protein.
authors.affiliation: Theodor-Boveri-Institut für Biowissenschaften (Biozentrum) der Universität, Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Reusch
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arnold
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Heusser
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Weston
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sebald
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001666:Binding Sites, Antibody; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D000939:Epitopes / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000145:classification; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D017354:Point Mutation; D011487:Protein Conformation; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000939:Epitopes; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D015847:Interleukin-4