title: Identification of conserved amino acids in the human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor receptor alpha subunit critical for function. Evidence for formation of a heterodimeric receptor complex prior to ligand binding.
abstract: A superfamily of growth factor and cytokine receptors has recently been identified, which is characterized by four spatially conserved cysteine residues, a tryptophan-serine motif (WSXWS) in the extracellular domain, and a proline-rich cytoplasmic domain. The high affinity human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) receptor (hGM-CSFR) consists of two subunits, alpha (hGM-CSFR alpha) and beta (hGM-CSFR beta), both of which are members of the receptor superfamily. In this study, we prepared mutations in conserved amino acids of the receptor subunit necessary for GM-CSF binding (hGM-CSFR alpha) and analyzed mutant receptors for low affinity binding, internalization, and high affinity binding when complexed with the beta subunit. Mutations in the cytoplasmic domain did not affect GM-CSF binding or receptor internalization. Mutation of a single conserved serine residue within the WSXWS motif diminishes cell surface receptor expression but not ligand binding. Mutation of either the second or third conserved cysteine residue of hGM-CSFR alpha resulted in complete loss of low affinity binding; however, co-expression of the cysteine 2 mutant with hGM-CSFR beta yielded a high affinity receptor complex. Since neither the cysteine 2 mutant nor the beta subunit can bind ligand alone, this result suggests that hGM-CSFR alpha and hGM-CSFR beta exist in a preformed heterodimeric protein complex on the plasma membrane.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Chemistry, UCLA School of Medicine 90024.
authors.forename: L V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Ronco
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Silverman
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Slamon
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Gasson
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D003600:Cytosol / Q000378:metabolism; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008024:Ligands; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016296:Mutagenesis; D011392:Proline / Q000378:metabolism; D016187:Receptors, Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D008024:Ligands; D016187:Receptors, Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor; D011392:Proline