title: Molecular recognition of the Lewis Y antigen by monoclonal antibodies.
abstract: The murine monoclonal antibody BR55-2 is directed against the tumor-associated antigen Lewis Y oligosaccharide. The Lewis Y core antigen is a difucosylated structure consisting of four hexose units. Analysis of binding profiles of lactoseries isomeric structures by BR55-2 suggest that the binding epitope includes the OH-4 and OH-3 groups of the beta-D-galactose unit, the 6-CH3 groups of the two fucose units and the N-acetyl group of the subterminal beta-D-N-acetylglucosamine (beta DGlcNAc). To elucidate the molecular recognition properties of BR55-2 for the Y antigen, BR55-2 was cloned, sequenced and its three-dimensional structure was examined by molecular modeling. The crystal structure of BR96, another anti-Lewis Y antibody, solved in complex with a nonoate methyl ester Lewis Y tetrasaccharide, and the lectin IV protein in complex with a Lewis b tetrasaccharide core were used as a guide to probe the molecular basis for BR55-2 antigen recognition and specificity. Our modeling study shows that BR55-2 shares similar recognition features for the difucosylated type 2 lactoseries Lewis Y structure observed in the BR96-sugar complex. We observe that a major source of specificity for the Lewis Y structure by anti-Y antibodies emanates from interaction with the beta-D-N-acetylglucosamine residue and the nature of the structures extended at the reducing site of the fucosylated lactosoamine.
authors.affiliation: Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104-6082, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blaszczyk-Thurin
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Murali
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Westerink
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Steplewski
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Co
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kieber-Emmons
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D016018:Least-Squares Analysis; D007983:Lewis Blood Group Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016415:Sequence Alignment
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D007983:Lewis Blood Group Antigens; C094162:Lewis Y antigen