title: Incorporation of an isoleucine zipper motif enhances the biological activity of soluble CD40L (CD154).
abstract: Recent progress in the understanding of immune function indicates that the interaction of CD40L with its receptor, CD40, plays a pivotal role in both humoral immunity and cell-mediated defense against pathogens. Functional studies of this interaction on both dendritic cells and malignant cells have demonstrated that CD40L also plays an important role in immune surveillance and anti-tumor immunity. CD40L exists in nature predominantly as a membrane-anchored molecule. To develop CD40L as a potential therapeutic, it is important to optimize soluble forms of this molecule that could be used in a clinical setting. Several reports have shown that soluble forms of CD40L, like CD40 antibodies, are biologically active. In the present report we demonstrate that the incorporation of an isoleucine zipper trimerization motif significantly enhances the biological activity of soluble CD40L.
authors.affiliation: Immunex Corporation, Seattle, Washington 98101, USA.
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Remmele
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Klinke
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Macduff
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Fanslow
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Armitage
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001704:Biopolymers; D019013:CD40 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D023201:CD40 Ligand; D016466:CHO Cells; D002152:Calorimetry, Differential Scanning; D006224:Cricetinae; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D007532:Isoleucine / Q000737:chemistry*; D016350:Leucine Zippers; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D011487:Protein Conformation; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D001704:Biopolymers; D019013:CD40 Antigens; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D007532:Isoleucine; D023201:CD40 Ligand