[Puzzling B symptoms in a 61-year-old patient under treatment for rheumatoid arthritis]. / Rätselhafte B-Symptomatik bei einem 61-Jährigen unter Therapie einer rheumatoiden Arthritis.

A patient with rheumatoid arthritis and immunosuppression developed symptoms of wasting, neuropathy and lung cavitations eventually leading to central nervous system symptoms and fatal multi-organ failure. Disseminated infection with Histoplasma capsulatum proved to be the underlying cause. The primary infection had apparently been acquired 4 years earlier on a holiday to the Caribbean. Rare infectious diseases should be considered in patients under immunosuppression and travel activities to specific endemic areas.

Dihydroxy(4-thiomorpholinomethyl)benzoic acid: from molecular asymmetry to diode characteristics.

One of the challenges in molecular electronics is to design molecules which can be used as functional units in electronic devices. The subject of our investigations is an asymmetrical molecule, dihydroxy(4-thiomorpholinomethyl)benzoic acid (TMBA), whose structural and electronic properties are characterized. The self-assembly behavior of TMBA on Au(111) surfaces resulting in highly ordered monolayers is obtained using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Furthermore, investigations on the electronic properties of the combined metal/molecule system reveal an orbital mediated tunneling process and tunneling decay constants for the carboxylic and thiomorpholino group. Thus, a diode-like character of TMBA is shown to be caused by intrinsic electronic properties of different molecular moieties.

Fine tuning of the electronic structure of π-conjugated molecules for molecular electronics.

Molecular components with their inherent scalability are expected to be promising supplements for nanoscale electronic devices. Here we report on how to specifically tune the electronic structure of chemisorbed molecules and thus to gain control of molecular transport properties. The electronic structure of our prototype π-conjugated carboxylic acid anchored on the Cu(110) surface is modified systematically by inserting nitrogen atoms in a six-membered aromatic ring, a carboxylic functional group at the aromatic ring or both. Depending on the specific nature of the substituent, the relative position of the occupied or unoccupied electronic states with respect to the Fermi level can be specifically controlled and thus the transport properties of the studied molecular systems are modified intentionally, as proven by our scanning tunneling spectroscopy measurements. On the basis of the insight gained by our systematic experiment and first-principles calculations we are also able to predict the specific molecular character (σ or π) of the orbitals involved in the transport process of a carboxylate-Cu(110) system, depending on the functionalization pattern employed.

Electronic mapping of molecular orbitals at the molecule-metal interface.

The molecule-metal interface formed by pyridine-2,5-dicarboxylic acid chemically bonded to the Cu(110) surface is investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy and first-principles calculations. Our current-voltage spectroscopy studies reveal an electronic mapping of molecular orbitals as a function of tip position. By combining experimental and theoretical investigations, individual molecular orbitals are characterized by their energy and spatial distribution. The importance of adsorption geometries and conformational changes on the electron transport properties is highlighted.

Cu-adatom-mediated bonding in close-packed benzoate/Cu(110)-systems.

Using UHV-STM investigations and density-functional theory calculations we prove the contribution of Cu-adatoms to the stabilization of a new high-density phase of benzoate molecules on a Cu(110) substrate. We show that two different chemical species, benzoate and benzoate Cu-adatoms molecules, build the new close-packed structure. Although both species bind strongly to the copper surface, we identify the benzoate Cu-adatoms molecules as the more mobile species on the surface due to their reduced dipole moment and their lower binding energy compared to benzoate molecules. Therefore, the self-assembly process is supposed to be mediated by benzoate Cu-adatom species, which is analogous to the gold-thiolate species on Au(111) surfaces.

Fcgamma-receptor signaling augments the LPS-stimulated increase in serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels.

The phagocytosis of IgG-coated erythrocytes (EIgG) has been shown to augment the bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated increase in serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) levels. The present study evaluated the role of Fcgamma-receptor (FcgammaR) signaling and complement activation in the effect of EIgG on the TNF-alpha response to LPS. The role of FcgammaR was determined using FcR gamma-chain knockout mice that lack functional FcgammaRI and FcgammaRIII. In wild-type animals, EIgG caused a 16-fold augmentation of the serum TNF-alpha response to LPS, whereas there was no augmentation in the FcgammaR-deficient animals. Heat-damaged erythrocytes also augmented the TNF-alpha response to LPS. This effect was absent in FcgammaR-deficient animals. An IgG antibody against heated erythrocytes was detected in mouse serum. The complement activation caused by EIgG had little effect on the LPS-stimulated increase in serum TNF-alpha levels as indicated by activation of complement with cobra venom factor or IgM-coated erythrocytes as well as studies with C5-deficient mice. These results indicate that FcgammaR signaling primarily mediates the augmented serum TNF-alpha response to LPS caused by EIgG.

Differential requirement for classic and novel PKC isoforms in respiratory burst and phagocytosis in RAW 264.7 cells.

The binding of Ab (IgG)-opsonized particles by FcgammaRs on macrophages results in phagocytosis of the particles and generation of a respiratory burst. Both IgG-stimulated phagocytosis and respiratory burst involve activation of protein kinase C (PKC). However, the specific PKC isoforms required for these responses have yet to be identified. We have studied the involvement of PKC isoforms in IgG-mediated phagocytosis and respiratory burst in the mouse macrophage-like cell line, RAW 264.7. Like primary monocyte/macrophages, their IgG-mediated phagocytosis was calcium independent and diacylglycerol sensitive, consistent with novel PKC activation. Respiratory burst in these cells was Ca2+ dependent and inhibited by staurosporine and calphostin C as well as by the classic PKC-selective inhibitors Gö 6976 and CGP 41251, suggesting that classic PKC is required. In contrast, phagocytosis was blocked by general PKC inhibitors but not by the classic PKC-specific drugs. RAW 264.7 cells expressed PKCs alpha, betaI, delta, epsilon, and zeta. Subcellular fractionation demonstrated that PKCs alpha, delta, and epsilon translocate to membranes during phagocytosis. In Ca2+-depleted cells, only novel PKCs delta and epsilon increased in membranes, and the time course of their translocation was consistent with phagosome formation. Confocal microscopy of cells transfected with green fluorescent protein-conjugated PKC alpha or epsilon confirmed that these isoforms translocated to the forming phagosome in Ca-replete cells, but only PKC epsilon colocalized with phagosomes in Ca2+-depleted cells. Taken together, these results suggest that the classic PKC alpha mediates IgG-stimulated respiratory burst in macrophages, whereas the novel PKCs delta and/or epsilon are necessary for phagocytosis.

A phagocytic challenge with IgG-coated erythrocytes depresses macrophage respiratory burst and phagocytic function by different mechanisms.

A phagocytic challenge with IgG-coated erythrocytes (EIgG) previously has been shown to cause impaired macrophage respiratory burst capacity and FcgammaR-mediated phagocytic function. Because both the respiratory burst and FcgammaR-mediated phagocytosis are dependent on the release of arachidonate (AA), we evaluated the effects of impaired AA release on the depression of macrophage function caused by a phagocytic challenge. Challenge with EIgG caused a depression of A23187-stimulated AA release that was associated with impaired phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)-stimulated H2O2 production and FcgammaR-mediated phagocytic function. In contrast, challenge with IgG-coated glass beads (BIgG) had no effect on either AA release or H2O2 production but did depress phagocytic function. Exogenous AA prevented the depression of H2O2 production but had no effect on phagocytic function. Phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activity was depressed under conditions where AA release was impaired. The depression of phagocytic function was correlated with a depression of both EIgG binding and FcgammaR expression. Thus, a phagocytic challenge with EIgG results in macrophage dysfunction by depressing PLA2 activity and depleting FcgammaR.

Localization of p21-activated kinase 1 (PAK1) to pseudopodia, membrane ruffles, and phagocytic cups in activated human neutrophils.

Leukocyte chemoattractants are known to stimulate signaling pathways that involve Rho family GTPases. Direct evidence for the regulation of the leukocyte cytoskeleton by Rho GTPases and their effector targets is limited. The p21-activated kinases (PAKs) are specific targets of activated GTP-bound Rac and Cdc42, and have been proposed as regulators of chemoattractant-driven actin cytoskeletal changes in fibroblasts. PAK1 colocalizes with F-actin to cortical actin structures in stimulated fibroblasts, and activated PAK1 mutants induce membrane ruffling and polarized cytoskeletal rearrangements. We investigated whether PAK1 was associated with remodeling of the actin cytoskeleton in activated human neutrophils. We monitored the redistribution of PAK1 and F-actin into the actin cytoskeleton after stimulation of human neutrophils with the chemoattractant N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP) or the particulate stimulus, opsonized zymosan (OZ). PAK1 exhibited a similar distribution as F-actin in fMLP-stimulated leukocytes, localizing in membrane ruffles and to lamellipodia at the leading edge of polarized cells. Addition of OZ induced phagocytic uptake of this particulate stimulus, and PAK1 re-localized to the F-actin-rich pseudopodia and phagocytic cups associated with this process. Once the OZ was internalized, there was little PAK1 localized around the ingested particles, suggesting that PAK1 may be regulating the cytoskeletal extensions and events required for engulfment of bacteria, but not the subsequent steps of internalization. Localization of PAK1 and F-actin in cytoskeletal structures was abolished by the actin polymerization inhibitor cytochalasin D and the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor wortmannin. Our data suggest that PAK1 may regulate a subset of cytoskeletal dynamics initiated by chemoattractant and phagocytic stimuli in human neutrophils.

Protein kinase C and a calcium-independent phospholipase are required for IgG-mediated phagocytosis by Mono-Mac-6 cells.

Mono-Mac-6 (MM6) human monocytes ingest IgG-opsonized particles better than other human cell lines. We compared the phagocytic signaling pathway in MM6 with human monocytes. MM6 expressed FcgammaRI at levels similar to monocytes, whereas FcRgammaII expression was approximately double. MM6 ingested IgG-opsonized erythrocytes (EIgG) in a calcium-independent manner. Incubation of MM6 with bromoenol lactone, an inhibitor of the phagocytic phospholipase (pPL), coordinately decreased phagocytosis and pPL activity. This inhibition was overcome by exogenous arachidonic acid, suggesting that phagocytosis requires pPL activation and arachidonic acid release. MM6 phagocytosis was inhibited with staurosporine and activated with diacylglycerol, supporting a role for protein kinase C (PKC) in this process. The pPL activators mastoparan and melittin restored phagocytosis to PKC-inhibited cells, suggesting that pPL lies downstream from PKC. These results suggest that the MM6 signal transduction pathway for IgG-mediated phagocytosis is similar to that of monocytes (PKC-->pPL-->arachidonic acid-->phagocytosis). The results are discussed in the context of the finding that MM6 exhibit low phagocytosis relative to monocytes and thus may represent an attractive cell line for molecular manipulation in "recovery of function" studies.

Phospholipases and phagocytosis: the role of phospholipid-derived second messengers in phagocytosis.

Phagocytosis, the process by which leukocytes recognize and destroy invading pathogens, is essential for host defense. The binding of foreign organisms to phagocytic leukocytes initiates a complex signaling cascade which ultimately results in the entrapment and destruction of the pathogen. The signal transduction pathway mediating phagocytosis is the subject of intense investigation and is known to include protein tyrosine kinases, GTP-binding proteins, protein kinase C (PKC), actin polymerization and membrane movement. A rapidly expanding body of evidence suggests that phospholipases play an integral role in phagocytosis by generating essential second messengers. Here we review the data linking activation of phospholipase A2 (PLA2), phospholipase C (PLC) phospholipase D (PLD), and phosphoinositide 3-OH kinase (PI(3)K) to antibody (IgG)-mediated phagocytosis. Evidence is presented that (1) PLA2-derived arachidonic acid (AA) stimulates NADPH oxidase and membrane redistribution during phagocytosis, (2) the inositol-3,4,5-triphosphate (IP3) and diacylglycerol (DAG) products of PLC activate NADPH oxidase and PKC, and (3) sequential activation of PLD and phosphatidic acid phosphohydrolase may provide an alternative pathway for generation of DAG. Additionally, considerable evidence exists that wortmannin, a PI(3)K inhibitor, depresses phagocytosis. This finding is discussed in the context of the extensive effects PI(3)K products have on endocytosis and exocytosis and the potential role of membrane redistribution in phagocytosis. Finally, a model is presented which integrates data obtained from a variety of phagocytic systems and illustrates potential interactions that may exist between phospholipase-derived second messengers and signaling events required for phagocytosis.

Mitogen-activated protein kinase is activated during IgG-mediated phagocytosis, but is not required for target ingestion.

Arachidonic acid (AA) release is required for IgG-mediated phagocytosis in human monocytes. AA release is mediated by a calcium-independent phospholipase A2 (PPL) that is in turn regulated by protein kinase C (PKC). As mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activates cytosolic phospholipase A2, we examined the activation and involvement of MAPK in IgG-mediated phagocytosis. MAPK activity was assessed in immunoprecipitates; tyrosine phosphorylation was detected by immunoblotting. Ingestion of IgG-opsonized glass beads, or treatment with phorbol myristate acetate, increased enzymatic activity and tyrosine phosphorylation of p42 MAPK. This MAPK activation was attenuated by PKC inhibitors staurosporine or calphostin C. Treatment with PD98059, a p42/p44 MAPK kinase (MEK) inhibitor, decreased BIgG-stimulated p42 MAPK activity by > 90% with no significant effect on phagocytosis or pPL activity. These results suggest that p42 MAPK is activated in a PKC-dependent manner during IgG-dependent phagocytosis but is not required for target ingestion.

Phospholipase A2 inhibition results in sequestration of plasma membrane into electronlucent vesicles during IgG-mediated phagocytosis.

Arachidonic acid is essential for antibody-mediated phagocytosis but its role in this process has not been defined. The phospholipase A2 inhibitor bromoenol lactone decreases arachidonic acid release and arrests phagocytosis; this effect is bypassed by the addition of arachidonic acid to bromoenol lactone-treated cells. In this morphological study, monocytes treated with bromoenol lactone accumulate electronlucent vesicles in the cytoplasm underlying bound targets. The vesicles are not contiguous with the plasma membrane as they are not labeled with cationized ferritin and are not connected to the plasma membrane as determined by high voltage electron microscopy imaging. However, if the plasma membrane is decorated with wheat germ agglutinin-gold prior to vesicle formation, virtually all vesicles contain the gold marker, indicating that they are plasma membrane-derived. The number of vesicles decreases dramatically upon addition of arachidonic acid to phospholipase A2-inhibited monocytes and phagocytosis is restored. Time course studies reveal electronlucent regions surrounding targets at early timepoints and a morphology consistent with fusion of electronlucent vesicles into the developing phagosome. These results are consistent with the following model: during the early stages of antibody-mediated phagocytosis, plasma membrane is sequestered in intracellular vesicles that provide membrane for the forming phagosome via fusion events that require arachidonic acid.

Protein kinase C activation precedes arachidonic acid release during IgG-mediated phagocytosis.

Previous studies demonstrated that both protein kinase C (PKC) and arachidonic acid (AA) are required for IgG-mediated phagocytosis by human monocytes. We have characterized a calcium-independent "phagocytic" phospholipase A2 (designated pPL) that mediates arachidonic acid release. The present studies were designed to order PKC and pPL in the phagocytic signaling pathway. The PKC inhibitors staurosporine and calphostin C caused a coordinated decrease in phagocytosis of IgG-opsonized erythrocytes and arachidonic acid release. The PLA2 activators mastoparan and melittin restored phagocytosis to PKC-inhibited cells, but were ineffective in monocytes pretreated with the pPL inhibitor bromoenol lactone. Similarly, PKC activation with PMA and diacylglycerol enhanced phagocytosis in the absence, but not in the presence, of bromoenol lactone. These results indicate that pPL may be regulated by an upstream phosphorylation event. Thus, we examined the effects of Ab-opsonized glass bead ingestion, okadaic acid-mediated inhibition of phosphatases, and PMA treatment on the activity of pPL and on its distribution between the cytosolic and membrane-associated compartments. IgG-opsonized erythrocytes and okadaic acid caused an overall increase in pPL activity, with a twofold increase in membrane-associated pPL. PMA treatment caused a 1.8-fold increase in membrane-associated pPL activity. Okadaic acid and PMA mimic IgG-opsonized erythrocytes with respect to membrane activation of pPL, suggesting that pPL activity may be regulated by PKC. Collectively, these results indicate that pPL activity is modulated by PKC during IgG-mediated phagocytosis, and that the PKC requirement can be bypassed by direct activation of pPL.

Immunoglobulin G-mediated phagocytosis activates a calcium-independent, phosphatidylethanolamine-specific phospholipase.

Inhibition of arachidonate release down-regulates immunoglobulin G-mediated phagocytosis. This arachidonate requirement is selective for IgG-opsonized targets, suggesting that arachidonate may act as a second messenger for Fc gamma receptor-mediated phagocytosis. Here we report the characterization of a phospholipase, activated during phagocytosis, that releases arachidonate from phosphatidylethanolamine in the absence of intracellular calcium ([Ca]i < or = 2 nM). In vitro, a phospholipase with these characteristics was detected in soluble and particulate fractions of human monocyte homogenates. (E)-6-(Bromomethylene)tetrahydro-3-(1-naphthalenyl)2H-pyran-2-one, a drug that selectively inhibits Ca-independent phospholipase A2s, is shown to inhibit IgG-mediated phagocytosis and its associated arachidonate release in intact monocytes as well as the in vitro enzyme activity. These findings provide a link between the whole-cell and in vitro data and present the initial characterization of a receptor-activated, calcium-independent phospholipase from human monocytes.

Inhibition of endosome fusion by phospholipase A2 (PLA2) inhibitors points to a role for PLA2 in endocytosis.

Fusion of intracellular membrane-bound compartments is a common step in the transport of macromolecules along the endocytic and secretory pathways. A large number of factors active in the fusion process or its regulation have been identified; however, the actual sequence of events leading to membrane fusion is still unknown. In this study, we have assessed a possible role for PLA2 in endosome fusion by using an in vitro reconstitution assay and by examining endocytosis in intact cells. Several PLA2 inhibitors blocked endosome fusion in a broken-cell preparation. Inhibition was reversed by addition of arachidonic acid. At the electron microscope level, endosome clusters were observed even in the presence of inhibitors; however, actual fusion between endosomes was largely reduced. Fusion frequency increased upon the addition of arachidonic acid. A membrane-permeable PLA2 inhibitor blocked mixing of ligands internalized sequentially but did not affect internalization. The results indicate that vesicle fusion along the endocytic pathway requires a PLA2 activity. The effect of this activity would be, at least in part, mediated by arachidonic acid release.

Phospholipase activation during monocyte adherence and spreading.

Phospholipase activation is an important element in cellular signal transduction. In our study we investigated the role and regulation of phospholipase activation during human monocyte adherence and spreading. In human monocytes, phospholipase inhibition (with bromophenacyl bromide (BPB) or manoalide) impaired cell adherence and spreading. In contrast, neither cyclooxygenase/lipoxygenase inhibition nor platelet activating factor receptor blockade affected these responses. The impaired adherence and spreading induced by phospholipase inhibition with BPB could be partially reversed by the addition of nM levels of arachidonate (20:4(n - 6)). Dihomogammalinolenic acid (20:3(n - 6)) could substitute for arachidonate, but other polyunsaturated fatty acids were ineffective in this regard. The phospholipase inhibitor, BPB was selective in its effects on cellular phospholipase activities. BPB inhibited adherence/spreading-related and PMA-stimulated phospholipase activities, but not Ca2+ ionophore-stimulated phospholipase activity. To further probe for the role of Ca2+ in monocyte adherence and spreading, monocytes were loaded with MAPTAM (bis-(2-amino-5-methylphenoxy)-ethane-N,N,N',N', tetraacetic acid tetraacetoxymethyl ester), an EGTA analog. In contrast to phospholipase inhibition, intracellular Ca2+ chelation with MAPTAM did not affect monocyte adherence but did inhibit monocyte spreading. MAPTAM partially inhibited adherence/spreading-stimulated phospholipase activity, but did not inhibit PMA-stimulated phospholipase activity. These data suggest that human monocyte adherence and spreading may sequentially activate Ca(2+)-independent and then Ca(2+)-dependent phospholipases to release arachidonate. The activation of phospholipase and the release of arachidonate appear to be integral parts of the adhesion process.

Arachidonic acid is essential for IgG Fc receptor-mediated phagocytosis by human monocytes.

Phagocytosis is a specialized function of neutrophils and macrophages that requires coordination of multiple biochemical and biophysical events. Considerable progress has been made in identifying the membrane receptors involved in phagocytosis, but the intracellular signaling pathways that are necessary for particle ingestion are poorly understood. In an effort to address this complex question, we investigated the role of arachidonic acid (AA) in the uptake of yeast and IgG-coated E (EIgG) or C-coated E. Human monocytes, labeled with 3H AA, released this label during phagocytosis of yeast and EIgG, but not in response to EC3b. The PL inhibitors bromophenacyl bromide and manoalide abolished the release of 3H and inhibited phagocytosis of EIgG in parallel. Both drugs caused a similar inhibition of yeast-mediated 3H release but had little effect on yeast ingestion. Similar results were obtained with the inhibitor quinacrine (mepacrine). Exogenously added AA and dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid restored bromophenacyl bromide-inhibited EIgG ingestion; arachidonate analogs eicosatrienoic acid and eicosapentanoic acid did not. Inhibition of the cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase pathways for AA metabolism by indomethacin or BW755C did not affect EIgG phagocytosis, demonstrating that these major AA metabolic pathways are not involved in phagocytic signaling. These experiments suggest that release of AA is essential for EIgG ingestion and that phagocytosis in monocytes proceeds by at least two mechanisms, one dependent on AA (EIgG) and one independent of it (yeast).

Essential fatty acid deficiency impairs macrophage spreading and adherence. Role of arachidonate in cell adhesion.

Dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid manipulation exerts a strikingly protective effect in models of tissue inflammation and injury. A critical element of this effect appears to revolve around leukocyte trafficking but underlying mechanisms are ill understood. In the current study it was observed that essential fatty acid (EFA) deficiency markedly impaired the capacity of resident macrophages to spread and adhere. This effect was not a simple function of the alteration of membrane fatty acid composition. Elicited EFA-deficient macrophages were equally adherent to elicited control cells, despite the fact that they were equally EFA-deficient relative to resident EFA-deficient cells. With respect to the mechanism underlying defective macrophage adherence in EFA deficiency, no change in the expression of cell surface adherence molecules (Fc receptor, Mac-1, or LFA-1) was noted with the deficiency state. Also, an adherence defect could not be induced in normal cells pharmacologically with cyclooxygenase blockade, lipoxygenase blockade, or a platelet-activating factor receptor antagonist. In contrast, phospholipase inhibition was able to induce a spreading and adherence defect in resident macrophages similar to that seen with EFA deficiency. Using several phospholipase inhibitors, a correlation between phospholipase inhibition and impairment of adherence was observed. Adding back exogenous fatty acids to cells after phospholipase inhibition demonstrated that normal adherence was reconstituted with arachidonate. This alteration in macrophage spreading and adherence with EFA deficiency may be an important component of the anti-inflammatory effect of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid manipulation. Additionally, these results suggest that arachidonate may be an intracellular mediator of leukocyte adherence.

Primary structure of the mannose receptor contains multiple motifs resembling carbohydrate-recognition domains.

Macrophages express a cell surface receptor which mediates phagocytosis and pinocytosis of particles and solutes containing mannose (fucose and N-acetylglucosamine are also ligands for the receptor). An apparently identical protein has been isolated from human placenta. Proteolytic fragments of the placental receptor were sequenced so that oligonucleotide probes complementary to the receptor cDNA could be generated. These probes were used to isolate cDNA clones covering the entire coding portion of the mRNA for the receptor. Confirmation that these clones encode the mannose receptor was obtained by expression in rat fibroblasts. The expressed protein mediates uptake and degradation of mannose-conjugated serum albumin. The deduced amino acid sequence of the receptor reveals that it is most likely to be a type I transmembrane protein (COOH terminus on the cytoplasmic side of the membrane) since the mature polypeptide is preceded by a signal sequence and a hydrophobic stop transfer sequence is located 45 amino acids from the COOH terminus. The extracellular portion of the receptor polypeptide consists of three types of domains. The first 139 amino acids constitute a cysteine-rich segment which does not resemble other known sequences. There follows a domain which closely resembles fibronectin type II repeats. The remainder of the extracellular portion of the receptor is composed of eight segments homologous with the C-type carbohydrate-recognition domains of the asialoglycoprotein receptor, mannose binding proteins, and other Ca2(+)-dependent animal lectins. This structure suggests that the receptor may contain multiple ligand-binding domains thus accounting for its tight binding to highly multivalent ligands.