Novel roles of lysines 122, 125, and 58 in functional differences between human and murine MD-2.
The MD-2/TLR4 complex provides a highly robust mechanism for recognition and response of mammalian innate immunity to Gram-negative bacterial endotoxins. Despite overall close structural and functional similarity, human (h) and murine (m) MD-2 show several species-related differences, including the ability of hMD-2, but not mMD-2, to bind endotoxin (E) in the absence of TLR4. Wild-type mMD-2 can support TLR4-dependent cell activation by E only when mMD-2 and mTLR4 are coexpressed in the same cell. However, replacement of Glu122, Leu125, and/or Asn58 of mMD-2 with the corresponding residues (lysines) of hMD-2 was sufficient to yield soluble extracellular MD-2 that reacted with monomeric E . sCD14 complex to form extracellular monomeric E . MD-2 that activated cells expressing TLR4 without MD-2. Moreover, in contrast to wild-type mMD-2, double and triple mMD-2 mutants also supported E-triggered signaling in combination with human TLR4. Conversely, a K125L mutant of hMD-2 reacted with E . CD14 and activated TLR4 only when coexpressed with TLR4, and not when secreted without TLR4. These findings reveal novel roles of lysines 122, 125, and 58 in human MD-2 that contribute to the functional differences between human and murine MD-2 and, potentially, to differences in the sensitivity of humans and mice to endotoxin.
Vasl
Jozica
J
Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Chemistry, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Oblak
Alja
A
Gioannini
Theresa L
TL
Weiss
Jerrold P
JP
Jerala
Roman
R
D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology; D051218:Lymphocyte Antigen 96 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008239:Lysine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000276:immunology; D051197:Toll-Like Receptor 4 / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D014162:Transfection
D004731:Endotoxins; C495377:LY96 protein, human; C411728:Ly96 protein, mouse; D051218:Lymphocyte Antigen 96; D051197:Toll-Like Receptor 4; D008239:Lysine