Ligation of L-selectin on T lymphocytes activates beta1 integrins and promotes adhesion to fibronectin.

Lymphocyte recirculation is dependent on families of adhesion molecules expressed on lymphocytes and their sequential interaction with ligands expressed on high endothelial venules in secondary lymphoid organs such as peripheral lymph nodes. By binding its carbohydrate-based ligands, L-selectin initiates this cascade of molecular interactions, supporting the rolling of lymphocytes along high endothelial venules. Subsequent activation of lymphocyte integrins leads to cell arrest followed by lymphocyte extravasation. Here, we demonstrate stimulated adhesion of PBL and Jurkat T cells to immobilized fibronectin following treatment with (1) GlyCAM-1, a physiologic ligand for L-selectin, and (2) cross-linked anti-L-selectin mAbs. We also utilize a solution binding assay to detect early changes in integrin activity, including affinity modulation and/or integrin clustering, and distinguish these from later postreceptor binding events such as changes in cell shape and spreading. With the Jurkat cell line, GlyCAM-1 and fucoidin (an L-selectin ligand mimetic) induce the binding of soluble fibronectin. In contrast, stimulation through the Jurkat TCR fails to promote binding to soluble ligand even though TCR cross-linking markedly enhances adhesion to immobilized fibronectin. These data suggest that L-selectin and the TCR promote adhesion through distinct mechanisms. Finally, we demonstrate that beta1 integrins are preferentially activated on naive T cells through the L-selectin pathway. Together with our previous studies showing similar activation of beta2 integrins on the naive T cell subset, these data suggest that signals delivered though L-selectin participate in the preferential recruitment of these cells to peripheral lymph nodes.

L-selectin-carbohydrate interactions: relevant modifications of the Lewis x trisaccharide.

Protein-carbohydrate interactions are known to mediate cell-cell recognition and adhesion events. Specifically, three carbohydrate binding proteins termed selectins (E-, P-, and L-selectin) have been shown to be essential for leukocyte rolling along the vascular endothelium, the first step in the recruitment of leukocytes from the blood into inflammatory sites or into secondary lymphoid organs. Although this phenomenon is well-established, little is known about the molecular-level interactions on which it depends. All three selectins recognize sulfated and sialylated derivatives of the Lewis x [Le(x):Gal beta 1-->4(Fuc alpha 1-->3)GlcNAc] and Lewis a [Le(a): Gal beta 1-->3(Fuc alpha 1-->4)GlcNAc] trisaccharide cores with affinities in the millimolar range, and it is believed that variants of these structures are the carbohydrate determinants of selectin recognition. Recently it was shown that the mucin GlyCAM-1, a secreted physiological ligand for L-selectin, is capped with sulfated derivatives of sialyl Lewis x [sLe(x): Sia alpha 2-->3Gal beta 1-->4(Fuc alpha 1-->3)GlcNAc] and that sulfation is required for the high-affinity interaction between GlyCAM-1 and L-selectin. To elucidate the important sites of sulfation on Le(x) with respect to L-selectin recognition, we have synthesized six sulfated Le(x) analogs and determined their abilities to block binding of a recombinant L-selectin-Ig chimera to immobilized GlyCAM-1. Our results suggest that 6-sulfo sLe(x) binds to L-selectin with higher affinity than does sLe(x) or 6'-sulfo sLe(x) and that sulfation of sLe(x) capping groups on GlyCAM-1 at the 6-position is important for L-selectin recognition.

Polymerized liposome assemblies: bifunctional macromolecular selectin inhibitors mimicking physiological selectin ligands.

Monomeric sialyl Lewis(X) (sLe(x)) and sLe(x)-like oligosaccharides are minimal structures capable of supporting selectin binding in vitro. However, their weak binding interactions do not correlate with the high-affinity binding interactions witnessed in vivo. The polyvalent display of carbohydrate groups found on cell surface glycoprotein structures may contribute to the enhanced binding strength of selectin-mediated adhesion. Detailed biochemical analyses of physiological selectin ligands have revealed a complicated composition of molecules that bind to the selectins in vivo and suggest that there are other requirements for tight binding beyond simple carbohydrate multimerization. In an effort to mimic the high-affinity binding, polyvalent scaffolds that contain multicomponent displays of selectin-binding ligands have been synthesized. Here, we demonstrate that the presentation of additional anionic functional groups in the form of sulfate esters, on a polymerized liposome surface containing a multimeric array of sLe(x)-like oligosaccharides, generates a highly potent, bifunctional macromolecular assembly. This assembly inhibits L-, E-, and P-selectin binding to GlyCAM-1, a physiological ligand better than sLe(x)-like liposomes without additional anionic charge. These multivalent arrays are 4 orders of magnitude better than the monovalent carbohydrate. Liposomes displaying 3'-sulfo Lewis(X)-like oligosaccharides, on the other hand, show slight loss of binding with introduction of additional anionic functional groups for E- and P-selectin and negligible change for L-selectin. The ability to rapidly and systematically vary the composition of these assemblies is a distinguishing feature of this methodology and may be applied to the study of other systems where composite binding determinants are important for high-affinity binding.