title: Site-directed mutagenesis of Cys-15 and Cys-20 of pulmonary surfactant protein D. Expression of a trimeric protein with altered anti-viral properties.
abstract: Surfactant protein D (SP-D) molecules are preferentially assembled as dodecamers consisting of trimeric subunits associated at their amino termini. The NH2-terminal sequence of each monomer contains two conserved cysteine residues, which participate in interchain disulfide bonds. In order to study the roles of these residues in SP-D assembly and function, we employed site-directed mutagenesis to substitute serine for cysteine 15 and 20 in recombinant rat SP-D (RrSP-D), and have expressed the mutant (RrSP-Dser15/20) in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO-K1) cells. The mutant, which was efficiently secreted, bound to maltosyl-agarose, but unlike RrSP-D, was assembled exclusively as trimers. The constituent monomers showed a decreased mobility on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis resulting from an increase in the size and sialylation of the N-linked oligosaccharide at Asn-70. Although RrSP-Dser15/20 contained a pepsin-resistant triple helical domain, it showed a decreased Tm, and acquired susceptibility to proteolytic degradation. Like RrSP-D, RrSP-Dser15/20 bound to the hemagglutinin of influenza A. However, it showed no viral aggregation and did not enhance the binding of influenza A to neutrophils (PMN), augment PMN respiratory burst, or protect PMNs from deactivation. These studies indicate that amino-terminal disulfides are required to stabilize dodecamers, and support our hypothesis that the oligomerization of trimeric subunits contributes to the anti-microbial properties of SP-D.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brown-Augsburger
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hartshorn
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rust
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fliszar
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Welgus
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Crouch
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D016466:CHO Cells; D006224:Cricetinae; D003545:Cysteine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus; D006389:Hemagglutinins, Viral / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D011487:Protein Conformation; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D037663:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein D; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D017931:DNA Primers; D006023:Glycoproteins; D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus; D006389:Hemagglutinins, Viral; D037663:Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein D; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D003545:Cysteine