Quantitative FRET imaging of leptin receptor oligomerization kinetics in single cells.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Leptin, an adipocyte-secreted hormone, signals through activation of its membrane-embedded receptor (LEPR). To study the leptin-induced events occurring in short (LEPRa) and long (LEPRb) LEPRs in the cell membrane, by FRET (fluorescence resonance energy transfer) methodology, the respective receptors, tagged at their C-terminal with CFP (cyan fluorescent protein) or YFP (yellow fluorescent protein), were prepared. RESULTS: The constructs encoding mLEPRa (mouse LEPRa)-YFP and mLEPRa-CFP, mLEPRb-YFP and mLEPRb-CFP were tested for biological activity in transiently transfected CHO cells (Chinese-hamster ovary cells) and HEK-293T cells (human embryonic kidney 293 T cells) for activation of STAT3 (signal transduction and activators of transcription 3)-mediated LUC (luciferase) activity and binding of radiolabelled leptin. All four constructs were biologically active and were as potent as their untagged counterparts. The localization pattern of the fused protein appeared to be confined almost entirely to the cell membrane. The leptin-dependent interaction between various types of receptors in fixed cells were studied by measuring FRET, using fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy and acceptor photobleaching methods. CONCLUSIONS: Both methods yielded similar results, indicating that (1) leptin receptors expressed in the cell membrane exist mostly as preformed LEPRa/LEPRa or LEPRb/LEPRb homo-oligomers but not as LEPRb/LEPRa hetero-oligomers; (2) the appearance of transient leptin-induced FRET in cells transfected with LEPRb/LEPRb reflects both a conformational change that leads to closer interaction in the cytosolic part and a higher FRET signal, as well as de novo homo-oligomerization; (3) in LEPRa/LEPRa, exposure to leptin does not lead to any increase in FRET signalling as the proximity of CFP and YFP fluorophores in space already gives maximal FRET efficiency of the preoligomerized receptors.

A polymorphism in the toll-like receptor 2 is associated with IL-12 production from monocyte in lepromatous leprosy.

Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) is critical in the immune response to mycobacterial infections, and the mutations in the TLR2 have been shown to confer the susceptibility to infection with mycobacteria. We previously reported the detection of TLR2 Arg677Trp mutation in lepromatous leprosy. Here, the events triggered by TLR2 in response to cell lysate of Mycobacterium leprae(MLL), the causative agent of leprosy, were investigated. Upon stimulation with MLL, monocytes produced TNF-alpha and Interleukin-12 (IL-12), which play a role in the innate immune response to infection. Anti-TLR2 mAb blocked greater than 50% of the MLL-induced production of IL-12. We also performed the functional study on TLR2 by measurement of IL-12 production in serum and monocytes from leprosy patients with TLR2 mutation (Arg677Trp). The monocytes obtained from patients with the TLR2 mutation, in comparison to the wild-type TLR2, is significantly less responsive to MLL. It was also confirmed that patients with TLR2 mutation showed significantly lower serum levels of IL-12, in comparing with TLR2 wild-type. Our results reveal that innate immune response of monocytes against M. lepraeis mediated by TLR2, and suggest that the mutation in the intracellular domain of TLR2 gene is associated with IL-12 production in lepromatous leprosy.

A polymorphism in the toll-like receptor 2 is associated with IL-12 production from monocyte in lepromatous leprosy

Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) is critical in the immune response to mycobacterial infections, and the mutations in the TLR2 have been shown to confer the susceptibility to infection with mycobacteria. We previously reported the detection of TLR2 Arg677Trp mutation in lepromatous leprosy. Here, the events triggered by TLR2 in response to cell lysate of Mycobacterium leprae(MLL), the causative agent of leprosy, were investigated. Upon stimulation with MLL, monocytes produced TNF-alpha and Interleukin-12 (IL-12), which play a role in the innate immune response to infection. Anti-TLR2 mAb blocked greater than 50 per cent of the MLL-induced production of IL-12. We also performed the functional study on TLR2 by measurement of IL-12 production in serum and monocytes from leprosy patients with TLR2 mutation (Arg677Trp). The monocytes obtained from patients with the TLR2 mutation, in comparison to the wild-type TLR2, is significantly less responsive to MLL. It was also confirmed that patients with TLR2 mutation showed significantly lower serum levels of IL-12, in comparing with TLR2 wild-type. Our results reveal that innate immune response of monocytes against M. lepraeis mediated by TLR2, and suggest that the mutation in the intracellular domain of TLR2 gene is associated with IL-12 production in lepromatous leprosy.

Detection of Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) mutation in the lepromatous leprosy patients.

Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) is critical in the immune response to mycobacterial infections and the mutations in the TLR2 have been shown to confer the susceptibility to severe infection with mycobacteria. To define this, we screened the intracellular domain of TLR2 in 131 subjects. Groups of 45 lepromatous and 41 tuberculoid leprosy (TT) patients and 45 controls were investigated. Ten subjects among the lepromatous leprosy (LL) patients had a band variant detected by single-stranded conformational polymorphism. DNA sequencing detected a C to T substitution at nucleotide 2029 from the start codon of the TLR2. The mutation would substitute Arg to Trp at amino acid residue 677, one of the conserved regions of TLR2. In our results, the mutation was involved in only LL, not TT and control. Thus, we suggest that the mutation in the intracellular domain of TLR2 has a role in susceptibility to LL.

Identification of specific sites involved in ligand binding by photoaffinity labeling of the receptor for the urokinase-type plasminogen activator. Residues located at equivalent positions in uPAR domains I and III participate in the assembly of a composite ligand-binding site.

Plasminogen activation by the urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) is facilitated in the presence of cells expressing the glycolipid-anchored high-affinity receptor for uPA (denoted uPAR). Structures involved in the interaction between human uPAR and a decamer peptide antagonist of uPA binding (SLNFSQYLWS) were previously tagged by specific site-directed photoaffinity labeling [Ploug, M., Ostergaard, S., Hansen, L. B. L., Holm, A., and Dano, K. (1998) Biochemistry 37, 3612-3622]. Replacement of the key functional residues Phe4 and Trp9 with either benzophenone or (trifluoromethyl)aryldiazirine rendered this peptide antagonist photoactivatable, and as a consequence, it incorporated covalently upon photolysis into either uPAR domain I or domain III depending on the actual position of the photophore in the sequence. The residues of uPAR specifically targeted by photoaffinity labeling were identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption mass spectrometry, NH2-terminal sequence analysis, and amino acid composition analysis after enzymatic fragmentation and HPLC purification. According to these data, the formation of the receptor-ligand complex positions Phe4 of the peptide antagonist very close to Arg53 and Leu66 in uPAR domain I and Trp9 of the antagonist in the vicinity of His251 in uPAR domain III. The gross molecular arrangement of the deduced receptor-ligand interface provides a rational structural basis for the observed requirement for the intact multidomain state of uPAR for achieving high-affinity ligand binding, since according to this model ligand binding must rely on a close spatial proximity of uPAR domains I and III. In addition, these data suggest that the assembly of the composite ligand binding site in uPAR may resemble the homophilic interdomain dimerization of kappa-bungarotoxin, a structural homologue of the Ly-6/uPAR domain family.