title: The unusual species cross-reactivity of the leukemia inhibitory factor receptor alpha-chain is determined primarily by the immunoglobulin-like domain.
abstract: Human leukemia inhibitory factor (hLIF) binds to both human and mouse LIF receptors (LIFRs), while mouse LIF (mLIF) binds only to mouse LIFRs. Furthermore, hLIF binds with much higher affinity to the mouse LIFR (mLIFR) alpha-chain than does mLIF itself. To define the structural elements of the mLIFR alpha-chain conferring high affinity binding of hLIF and the species-specific interaction with mLIF, we first constructed C-terminally truncated extracellular domains of both the mLIFR and the human LIFR (hLIFR) alpha-chains, which contained only the two hemopoietin domains separated by an immunoglobulin-like domain. These recombinant truncated LIFR alpha-chains had identical binding and biological characteristics to either their naturally occurring or transfected counterparts. On the basis of this, we have generated eight interspecies receptor chimeras by combining different regions of the mouse and human LIFR sequence. Surprisingly, the immunoglobulin-like domain of the mLIFR alpha-chain played the predominant role in receptor-ligand interactions. Moreover, both high affinity binding for hLIF and the species-specific binding for mLIF mapped to the same domain of mLIFR molecule. These findings should enable the development of a "humanized" mouse LIFR that could act as a potent antagonist of hLIF biological activities in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research and the Cooperative Research Centre for Cellular Growth Factors, P.O. Royal Melbourne Hospital, Victoria 3050, Australia.
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Owczarek
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Layton
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Metcalf
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Nicola
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003429:Cross Reactions; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006131:Growth Inhibitors; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000378:metabolism*; D015850:Interleukin-6; D053605:Leukemia Inhibitory Factor; D053680:Leukemia Inhibitory Factor Receptor alpha Subunit; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011485:Protein Binding; D018121:Receptors, Cytokine / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D053606:Receptors, OSM-LIF; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; D013045:Species Specificity; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D006131:Growth Inhibitors; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D015850:Interleukin-6; C507837:LIF protein, human; C507840:LIFR protein, human; D053605:Leukemia Inhibitory Factor; D053680:Leukemia Inhibitory Factor Receptor alpha Subunit; C507838:Lif protein, mouse; C507841:Lifr protein, mouse; D008222:Lymphokines; D018121:Receptors, Cytokine; D053606:Receptors, OSM-LIF; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; C494086:STAT3 protein, human; C494087:Stat3 protein, mouse; D015534:Trans-Activators