Structural and biochemical analyses of concanavalin A circular permutation by jack bean asparaginyl endopeptidase.

Over 30 years ago, an intriguing posttranslational modification was found responsible for creating concanavalin A (conA), a carbohydrate-binding protein from jack bean (Canavalia ensiformis) seeds and a common carbohydrate chromatography reagent. ConA biosynthesis involves what was then an unprecedented rearrangement in amino-acid sequence, whereby the N-terminal half of the gene-encoded conA precursor (pro-conA) is swapped to become the C-terminal half of conA. Asparaginyl endopeptidase (AEP) was shown to be involved, but its mechanism was not fully elucidated. To understand the structural basis and consequences of circular permutation, we generated recombinant jack bean pro-conA plus jack bean AEP (CeAEP1) and solved crystal structures for each to 2.1 and 2.7 Å, respectively. By reconstituting conA biosynthesis in vitro, we prove CeAEP1 alone can perform both cleavage and cleavage-coupled transpeptidation to form conA. CeAEP1 structural analysis reveals how it is capable of carrying out both reactions. Biophysical assays illustrated that pro-conA is less stable than conA. This observation was explained by fewer intermolecular interactions between subunits in the pro-conA crystal structure and consistent with a difference in the prevalence for tetramerization in solution. These findings elucidate the consequences of circular permutation in the only posttranslation example known to occur in nature.

Biosynthesis of mycobacterial methylmannose polysaccharides requires a unique 1-O-methyltransferase specific for 3-O-methylated mannosides.

Mycobacteria are a wide group of organisms that includes strict pathogens, such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, as well as environmental species known as nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), some of which-namely Mycobacterium avium-are important opportunistic pathogens. In addition to a distinctive cell envelope mediating critical interactions with the host immune system and largely responsible for their formidable resistance to antimicrobials, mycobacteria synthesize rare intracellular polymethylated polysaccharides implicated in the modulation of fatty acid metabolism, thus critical players in cell envelope assembly. These are the 6-O-methylglucose lipopolysaccharides (MGLP) ubiquitously detected across the Mycobacterium genus, and the 3-O-methylmannose polysaccharides (MMP) identified only in NTM. The polymethylated nature of these polysaccharides renders the intervening methyltransferases essential for their optimal function. Although the knowledge of MGLP biogenesis is greater than that of MMP biosynthesis, the methyltransferases of both pathways remain uncharacterized. Here, we report the identification and characterization of a unique S-adenosyl-l-methionine-dependent sugar 1-O-methyltransferase (MeT1) from Mycobacterium hassiacum that specifically blocks the 1-OH position of 3,3'-di-O-methyl-4α-mannobiose, a probable early precursor of MMP, which we chemically synthesized. The high-resolution 3D structure of MeT1 in complex with its exhausted cofactor, S-adenosyl-l-homocysteine, together with mutagenesis studies and molecular docking simulations, unveiled the enzyme's reaction mechanism. The functional and structural properties of this unique sugar methyltransferase further our knowledge of MMP biosynthesis and provide important tools to dissect the role of MMP in NTM physiology and resilience.

Structural evaluation of a mimicry-recognizing paratope: plasticity in antigen-antibody interactions manifests in molecular mimicry.

Molecular mimicry manifests antagonistically with respect to the specificity of immune recognition. However, it often occurs because different Ags share surface topologies in terms of shape or chemical nature. It also occurs when a flexible paratope accommodates dissimilar Ags by adjusting structural features according to the antigenic epitopes or differential positioning in the Ag combining site. Toward deciphering the structural basis of molecular mimicry, mAb 2D10 was isolated from a maturing immune response elicited against methyl α-d-mannopyranoside and also bound equivalently to a dodecapeptide. The physicochemical evidence of this carbohydrate-peptide mimicry in the case of mAb 2D10 had been established earlier. These studies had strongly suggested direct involvement of a flexible paratope in the observed mimicry. Surprisingly, comparison of the Ag-free structure of single-chain variable fragment 2D10 with those bound to sugar and peptide Ags revealed a conformationally invariant state of the Ab while binding to chemically and structurally disparate Ags. This equivalent binding of the two dissimilar Ags was through mutually independent interactions, demonstrating functional equivalence in the absence of structural correlation. Thus, existence of a multispecific, mature Ab in the secondary immune response was evident, as was the plasticity in the interactions while accommodating topologically diverse Ags. Although our data highlight the structural basis of receptor multispecificity, they also illustrate mechanisms adopted by the immune system to neutralize the escape mutants generated during pathogenic insult.

Crystallographic complexes of surfactant protein A and carbohydrates reveal ligand-induced conformational change.

Surfactant protein A (SP-A), a C-type lectin, plays an important role in innate lung host defense against inhaled pathogens. Crystallographic SP-A·ligand complexes have not been reported to date, limiting available molecular information about SP-A interactions with microbial surface components. This study describes crystal structures of calcium-dependent complexes of the C-terminal neck and carbohydrate recognition domain of SP-A with d-mannose, D-α-methylmannose, and glycerol, which represent subdomains of glycans on pathogen surfaces. Comparison of these complexes with the unliganded SP-A neck and carbohydrate recognition domain revealed an unexpected ligand-associated conformational change in the loop region surrounding the lectin site, one not previously reported for the lectin homologs SP-D and mannan-binding lectin. The net result of the conformational change is that the SP-A lectin site and the surrounding loop region become more compact. The Glu-202 side chain of unliganded SP-A extends out into the solvent and away from the calcium ion; however, in the complexes, the Glu-202 side chain translocates 12.8 Å to bind the calcium. The availability of Glu-202, together with positional changes involving water molecules, creates a more favorable hydrogen bonding environment for carbohydrate ligands. The Lys-203 side chain reorients as well, extending outward into the solvent in the complexes, thereby opening up a small cation-friendly cavity occupied by a sodium ion. Binding of this cation brings the large loop, which forms one wall of the lectin site, and the adjacent small loop closer together. The ability to undergo conformational changes may help SP-A adapt to different ligand classes, including microbial glycolipids and surfactant lipids.

Revisiting the specificity of an α-(1→4)-mannosyltransferase involved in mycobacterial methylmannose polysaccharide biosynthesis.

In order to evaluate the proposed biosynthetic pathway for the methylmannose (MMPs) polysaccharides produced by mycobacteria, two homologous series of synthetic α-(1→4)-linked 3-O-methyl-mannopyranosides, one terminated at the non-reducing end by a free mannopyranose residue (unmethylated oligosaccharides; OS) and the other terminated by a 3-O-methyl-mannopyranose residue (methylated OS), were prepared and evaluated as potential acceptors of an α-(1→4)-mannosyltransferase. Using a mycobacterial membrane preparation as the source of the transferase, it was found that unmethylated OS are better substrates for the enzyme compared to the methylated OS of the same length. These results are inconsistent with the proposed MMP biosynthetic pathway, which suggests only methylated OS are acceptors of this transferase. To confirm that the observed activity arose from the desired α-(1→4)-mannosyltransferase, as opposed to other mannosyltransferases present in the membrane preparation, the products resulting from tetrasaccharides 4 (unmethylated OS) and 9 (methylated OS), which only differ in the terminal residue, were further analyzed. MALDI-MS, exo-glycosidase digestion and (1) H NMR spectroscopy were used to evaluate the structures of these reaction products. These experiments revealed that the enzymatic products of both 4 and 9 contain only α-(1→4)-linked mannose residues, confirming the activity of the α-(1→4)-mannosyltransferase. This supports the finding that both methylated and unmethylated OS are acceptors of the enzyme. It was also demonstrated that a homologous series of oligosaccharides with different number of mannose residues were formed from both 4 and 9, as opposed to a single reaction product. These results, again, challenge the previously proposed MMP biosynthetic pathway involving alternating methylation and mannosylation reactions.

Role played by exosporium glycoproteins in the surface properties of Bacillus cereus spores and in their adhesion to stainless steel.

Bacillus cereus spores are surrounded by a loose-fitting layer called the exosporium, whose distal part is mainly formed from glycoproteins. The role played by the exosporium glycoproteins of B. cereus ATCC 14579 (BclA and ExsH) was investigated by considering hydrophobicity and charge, as well as the properties of spore adhesion to stainless steel. The absence of BclA increased both the isoelectric point (IEP) and hydrophobicity of whole spores while simultaneously reducing the interaction between spores and stainless steel. However, neither the hydrophobicity nor the charge associated with BclA could explain the differences in the adhesion properties. Conversely, ExsH, another exosporium glycoprotein, did not play a significant role in spore surface properties. The monosaccharide analysis of B. cereus ATCC 14579 showed different glycosylation patterns on ExsH and BclA. Moreover, two specific glycosyl residues, namely, 2-O-methyl-rhamnose (2-Me-Rha) and 2,4-O-methyl-rhamnose (2,4-Me-Rha), were attached to BclA, in addition to the glycosyl residues already reported in B. anthracis.

The secretion and uptake of lysosomal phospholipase A2 by alveolar macrophages.

Macrophages have long been known to secrete a Phospholipase A(2) with an acidic pH optimum in response to phagocytic stimuli. However, the enzyme or enzymes responsible for this activity have not been identified. We report that mouse alveolar macrophages release lysosomal phospholipase A(2) (LPLA(2)) into the medium of cultured cells following stimulation with zymosan. The release of the enzyme was detected by enzymatic activity assays as well as by Western blotting using an Ab against mouse LPLA(2). LPLA(2) is a high mannose type glycoprotein found in lysosomes, suggesting that the released enzyme might be reincorporated into alveolar macrophages via a mannose or mannose phosphate receptor. Recombinant glycosylated mouse LPLA(2) produced by HEK293 cells was applied to LPLA(2)-deficient (LPLA(2)(-/-)) mouse alveolar macrophages. The uptake of exogenous LPLA(2) into LPLA(2)(-/-) alveolar macrophages occurred in a concentration-dependent manner. The LPLA(2) taken into the alveolar macrophages colocalized with the lysosomal marker, Lamp-1. This uptake was significantly suppressed in the presence of alpha-methyl-mannoside but not in the presence of mannose 6-phosphate. Thus, the predominant pathway for uptake of exogenous LPLA(2) is via the mannose receptor, with subsequent translocation into acidic, Lamp-1-associated compartments. LPLA(2)(-/-) alveolar macrophages are characterized by marked accumulation of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine. Treatment with the recombinant LPLA(2) rescued the LPLA(2)(-/-) alveolar macrophages by markedly decreasing the phospholipid accumulation. The application of a catalytically inactive LPLA(2) revealed that the enzymatic activity of LPLA(2) was required for the phospholipid reduction. These studies identify LPLA(2) as a high m.w.-secreted Phospholipase A(2).

A chromatographic approach for elevating the antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity of antibody composites.

Recent studies have shown that antibodies with low fucose content in their oligosaccharides exhibit highly potent antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). However, composites of therapeutic antibodies produced by conventional production systems using cell lines such as Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) and SP2/0 do not necessarily contain sufficient amounts of non-fucosylated antibody species. In this study, we combined two lectin-affinity chromatography techniques, Concanavalin A and Lens culinaris agglutinin, to enrich the non-fucosylated species from therapeutic material using the anti-Her2/neu model antibody. Oligosaccharide analysis by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight MS following peptide-N-glycosidase F digestion suggested that non-fucosylated antibody could be enriched in the purified fraction with efficient removal of high-mannose species. The ADCC activity of the purified fraction was about 100-fold higher than that of the initial material. The chromatographic strategy presented here can be a useful tool to elevate ADCC activity of antibody materials without concentrating high-mannose oligosaccharides.

Lectin Isolated from Japanese Red Sword Beans (Canavalia gladiata) as a Potential Cancer Chemopreventive Agent.

In this study, we investigated the chemical and biological profile of lectin isolated from Japanese red sword beans (Canavalia gladiata; RSBs). RSB lectin was purified using maltamyl-Sepharose 4B and subjected to amino acid composition and partial amino acid sequencing analyses, and evaluated for blood and carbohydrate specificity, mitogenic activity, splenic natural killer (NK) cell activity, and its effect on B16 melanoma cell proliferation, compared with Concanavalin A (Con A). The amino acid composition and sequences of RSB lectin were similar to those of Con A. RSB lectin showed specificity to mannose, glucose, maltose, methyl-D-mannoside, and thyroglobulin, but not rhamnose, using mouse, sheep, and rabbit erythrocytes. Compared with Con A, RSB lectin showed low resistance to proteases and to temperatures greater than 70 °C, but high mitogenic activity for mouse splenic cells. Notably, while treatment with RSB lectin and Con A (0.01 and 0.1 µg/mL) promoted similar levels of splenic NK cell activity, which were higher than that observed in the control (0 µg/mL) and interleukin 2 (IL-2) (25 U)-treated populations, RBS lectin exerted a significantly stronger anti-proliferative effect than Con A at a concentration of 125.0 µg per well. Overall, our results show that RSB lectin might exert immunological effects on mouse splenic cells and could thus be used as a potential cancer chemopreventive agent. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Japanese red sword bean (RSB) is a tropical perennial legume consumed in many Asian countries. RSB lectin shows specificity to mannose, glucose, maltose, methyl-d-mannoside, and thyroglobulin, but not to rhamnose, using mouse, sheep, and rabbit erythrocytes. RSB lectin exhibits similarities to Concanavalin A in amino acid composition and sequence, shows mitogenic activity for mouse splenic cells and strong anti-proliferative activity for B16 melanoma cells, and also enhances the activity of splenic natural killer (NK) cells against YAC-1 cells. Thus, RSB lectin has the potential to be used as a bioactive protein in medical research.

Canavalia bonariensis lectin: Molecular bases of glycoconjugates interaction and antiglioma potential.

CaBo is a mannose/glucose-specific lectin purified from seeds of Canavalia bonariensis. In the present work, we report the CaBo crystal structure determined to atomic resolution in the presence of X-man, a specific ligand. Similar to the structural characteristics of other legume lectins, CaBo presented the jellyroll motif, a metal binding site occupied by calcium and manganese ions close to the carbohydrate-recognition domain (CRD). In vitro test of CaBo cytotoxicity against glioma cells demonstrated its ability to decrease the cellular viability and migration by induction of autophagy and cell death. Molecular docking simulations corroborate previous data indicating that the lectin's biological activities occur mostly through interactions with glycoproteins since the lectin interacted favorably with several N-glycans, especially those of the high-mannose type. Together, these results suggest that CaBo interacts with glycosylated cell targets and elicits a remarkable antiglioma activity.

Lysosomal enzyme phosphorylation in human fibroblasts. Kinetic parameters offer a biochemical rationale for two distinct defects in the uridine diphospho-N-acetylglucosamine:lysosomal enzyme precursor N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphotransferase.

The primary genetic defect in the lysosomal storage disease mucolipidosis III (ML III) is in the enzyme uridine diphospho-N-acetylglucosamine:lysosomal enzyme N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphotransferase. This enzyme has two well-defined functions: specific recognition of lysosomal enzymes (recognition function) and phosphorylation of their oligosaccharides (catalytic function). Using fibroblasts from patients with ML III as the source of enzyme, and alpha-methylmannoside and two lysosomal enzymes as the substrates, we have identified defects in both of these functions. In one group of fibroblasts, the catalytic activity of the N-acetylglucosaminylphosphotransferase is decreased while the ability to recognize lysosomal enzymes as specific substrates remains intact. In the second group of fibroblasts, the ability to recognize lysosomal enzymes is impaired while the catalytic activity of the enzyme is normal. These data provide a biochemical rationale for the previously described genetic heterogeneity among patients with ML III (Honey, N. K., O. T. Mueller, L. E. Little, A. L. Miller, and T. B. Shows, 1982, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA., 79:7420-7424).

120-kD surface glycoprotein of Pneumocystis carinii is a ligand for surfactant protein A.

Pneumocystis carinii is the most common cause of life-threatening pneumonia in immunocompromised patients. In the current study, surfactant protein A (SP-A), the major nonserum protein constituent of pulmonary surfactant, is demonstrated to bind P. carinii in a specific and saturable manner. SP-A is surface bound and does not appear to be internalized or degraded by the P. carinii organism. Furthermore, SP-A binding to P. carinii is time- and calcium-dependent and is competitively inhibited by mannosyl albumin. In the absence of calcium or the presence of excess mannosyl albumin, SP-A binding to P. carinii is reduced by 95 and 71%, respectively. SP-A avidly binds P. carinii with a Kd of 8 x 10(-9) M and an estimated 8.4 x 10(6) SP-A binding sites per P. carinii organism, as determined from Scatchard plots. SP-A is shown to bind P. carinii in vivo, and a putative binding site for SP-A on P. carinii is demonstrated to be the mannoserich surface membrane glycoprotein gp120. These findings suggest that P. carinii can interact with the phospholipid-rich material in the alveolar spaces by specifically binding a major protein constituent of pulmonary surfactant.

Isolation and biochemical characterization of leukemia-associated inhibitory activity that suppresses colony and cluster formation of cells.

Leukemia-associated inhibitory activity suppresses colony and cluster formation in vitro cells derived from granulocyte-macrophage progenitor cells of normal donors. It does not inhibit these same progenitor cells from patients with leukemia and it may contribute to the proliferative advantage leukemia cells appear to possess over normal hematopoietic cells during acute leukemia. The inhibitory activity was isolated by a combination of procedures including: ultracentrifugation, Sephadex G-200, carboxymethylcellulose, SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, thin-layer and preparative isoelectric focusing and concanavalin A-Sepharose. Leukemia-associated inhibitory activity was characterized as a glycoprotein. it was inactivated by trypsin, chymotrypsin, pronase and periodate treatment. It bound to and was eluted by alpha-methylmannose from concanavalin A-Sepharose columns and had an apparent Mr range of 450-550 000 and an isoelectric focus value between pH 4.6 and 4.9. Crude leukemia associated inhibitory activity was temperature sensitive but the more purified preparations were heat stable.

Dynamic state of concanavalin A receptor interactions on fibroblast surfaces.

Cultured normal and transformed fibroblasts were treated "in situ" by the concanavalin A-peroxidase labelling technique. It is known that peroxidase recognizes only a fraction of the bound lectin depending on the cell type. Kinetics studies revealed that 80 to 95 percent of the peroxidase and only 10 percent of the lectin are released from the cell surface when the labelled cells were reincubated at 37 degrees C. It is shown that it is mostly the concanavalin traced by peroxidase that is released and also that the lectin and the enzyme are shed as a complex or concomitantly. Consequently, the shedding pattern of the enzyme is used to demonstrate heterogeneity in the lectin binding sites; there are two main components labelled by concanavalin and peroxidase, one which has a short period (from 6 to 16 min) and another one with a much longer one (1.3 to 3 h). It is shown that when cells are incubated at 37 degrees C after a lectin treatment, secondary binding forces occur between the lectin and cell surface components which render the lectin unavailable for inhibiting sugars. Under the same conditions, some peroxidase can still be bound and a slight agglutination can still occur.

The mannose-specific bulb lectin from Galanthus nivalis (snowdrop) binds mono- and dimannosides at distinct sites. Structure analysis of refined complexes at 2.3 A and 3.0 A resolution.

Galanthus nivalis agglutinin (GNA, a 50 kDa tetramer) is a mannose-specific lectin of the Amaryllidaceae family of bulb lectins. Crystal structures of GNA complexed with methyl-alpha-D-mannose (MeMan) and mannose-alpha 1,3-D-mannose-alpha-OMe (MeMan-2) have been determined and analyzed in terms of internal structural symmetry and saccharide binding. The final model of the 2.29 A orthorhombic methyl-alpha-Man complex refined with an R-factor of 0.167 (all data) includes 12 bound sugar ligands and 327 water molecules. The four independent subunits (A, B, C and D) of the 222 tetramer and the three four-stranded beta-sheets (I,II and III) that constitute each subunit compare closely (r.m.s. delta = < 1.0 A). The 12 bound methyl-alpha-Man molecules refined with B-factors < 22 A2 and occupancies in the range of 0.5 to 1.0. The highest occupied site is located in beta-sheet I (site 1), where interactions from the dimer-related subunit contribute to complex stabilization. These subunit pairs (A-D and B-C) associate tightly with a buried surface area of 1738 A2 and 33 interchain hydrogen bonds resulting from C-terminal strand exchange. In comparison, the A-B and C-D subunit pairs have narrow interfaces (476 A2) and no direct H-bond contacts. The 3.0 A structure of the cubic Man-alpha 1,3-Man-OMe complex, determined by molecular replacement and refined with X-PLOR using NCS constraints and density modification methods, is less well ordered due to a high crystal solvent content (68%). Complexed disaccharide is responsible for the most crucial lattice contacts, which involve only one of the two independent subunits (A). The second subunit (C) shows a high degree of flexibility (Bav = 41.7 A2). The complete disaccharide molecule is visible in both subunits at site 3, which is the only extended site. The ligand is oriented with its reducing end positioned in the specificity pocket. The non-reducing manose is in contact through hydrogen bonding with a charged subsite (D37-K38) on the 2-fold-related subunit (A-B or C-D interfaces). Bound Man-alpha 1,3-MeMan is also well defined in site 2 of subunit A, as a result of favorable lattice contacts, while only the mannose residue bound in the specificity pocket is visible at site 2 of subunit C and site 1 of both subunits. Together these results suggest that strong binding correlates with the presence of subsidiary contacts coming either from a dimer-related subunit or from lattice interactions. Site 1 is most specific for terminal non-reducing or reducing mannose, while site 3 is extended and complementary to alpha-1,3 linked mannose oligosaccharides.

Crystal structures of artocarpin, a Moraceae lectin with mannose specificity, and its complex with methyl-alpha-D-mannose: implications to the generation of carbohydrate specificity.

The seeds of jack fruit (Artocarpus integrifolia) contain two tetrameric lectins, jacalin and artocarpin. Jacalin was the first lectin found to exhibit the beta-prism I fold, which is characteristic of the Moraceae plant lectin family. Jacalin contains two polypeptide chains produced by a post-translational proteolysis which has been shown to be crucial for generating its specificity for galactose. Artocarpin is a single chain protein with considerable sequence similarity with jacalin. It, however, exhibits many properties different from those of jacalin. In particular, it is specific to mannose. The structures of two crystal forms, form I and form II, of the native lectin have been determined at 2.4 and 2.5 A resolution, respectively. The structure of the lectin complexed with methyl-alpha-mannose, has also been determined at 2.9 A resolution. The structure is similar to jacalin, although differences exist in details. The crystal structures and detailed modelling studies indicate that the following differences between the carbohydrate binding sites of artocarpin and jacalin are responsible for the difference in the specificities of the two lectins. Firstly, artocarpin does not contain, unlike jacalin, an N terminus generated by post-translational proteolysis. Secondly, there is no aromatic residue in the binding site of artocarpin whereas there are four in that of jacalin. A comparison with similar lectins of known structures or sequences, suggests that, in general, stacking interactions with aromatic residues are important for the binding of galactose while such interactions are usually absent in the carbohydrate binding sites of mannose-specific lectins with the beta-prism I fold.

Dietary lectin lowers serum cholesterol and raises fecal neutral sterols in cholesterol-fed rats.

This study examined the influence of a low level of dietary lectin (0.34%), at a dose that did not affect body weight or food intake, on the concentration of serum cholesterol and fecal excretion of neutral sterols in rats fed a diet containing 0.50% cholesterol and 0.13% sodium cholate for 12 d. In experiment 1, rats fed a diet with 0.34% lectin, concanavalin A, had significantly lower concentrations of serum total cholesterol and hepatic cholesterol, a higher ratio of HDL-cholesterol to total cholesterol, enhanced excretion of fecal neutral sterols and reduced apparent cholesterol absorption or digestibility as compared with rats fed a diet without lectin. Fecal excretion of acidic sterols was unaffected by dietary lectin. In contrast, dietary 0.34% lectin had no significant effect on concentrations of serum total protein or glucose. In experiment 2, we examined whether the cholesterol-lowering activity of the lectin was responsibility for its carbohydrate-binding activity. The effect of dietary lectin on concentrations of serum and hepatic cholesterol and excretion of fecal neutral sterols was prevented by simultaneous administration of methyl-alpha-D-mannopyranoside with specific affinity for the carbohydrate-binding sites of the lectin. These results suggest that dietary lectins might reduce concentrations of serum and hepatic cholesterol by a mechanism involving higher excretion of neutral sterols and that these alterations might be associated with the carbohydrate-binding activity of lectin.

Interaction of high or low metastatic related tumor lines with normal or lymphokine-activated syngeneic peritoneal macrophages: in vitro analysis of tumor cell binding and cytostasis.

Peritoneal macrophages from normal DBA/2 mice were found to bind significantly more cells of a syngeneic low metastatic lymphoma line (Eb) than cells of a high metastatic variant (ESb) derived therefrom. These differences were observed in three different assays, at 4 degrees C and at 37 degrees C, and at various ratios of macrophages to tumor cells. Upon co-culture with normal macrophages, a tumor cytostatic effect was consistently observed with Eb but not with ESb tumor cells. Further experiments indicated that macrophages exerted their growth inhibitory effect via direct tumor cell contact. Pre-treatment of tumor cells with neuraminidase or pre-treatment of macrophages with lens culinaris lectin increased the numbers of macrophages binding Eb and ESb tumor cells. Addition of D-galactose or D-mannose at 50 mM concentration led to an increase of tumor cell binding and tumor cytostatic activity. Taken together, these results suggest (i) that carbohydrates play a role in tumor cell recognition by macrophages and (ii) that the differences observed between Eb and ESb tumor cells may be due to differences in the expression of carbohydrates. Pre-activation of the macrophages by lymphokine(s) led to a short increase in their tumor cell binding capacity. Lymphokine activation resulted in a strong but also short-lived increase of tumor cytostatic potential. This was effective against both the low and the high metastatic tumor line.

Determination of the affinity constants of pea lectin for neutral sugars by capillary affinophoresis with a monoligand affinophore.

Affinophoresis is a type of affinity electrophoresis in which an affinophore, a conjugate of an affinity ligand and a multiply charged soluble matrix, causes a change in migration velocity of proteins which have a specific affinity for the ligand. A monoligand affinophore bearing a mannoside was prepared by coupling iodoacetylated p-aminophenyl alpha-D-mannoside to the free thiol group of N-succinylated glutathione, and used for the affinophoresis of pea lectin in a capillary. The electrophoretic mobility of pea lectin towards the anode increased in the presence of the affinophore as a function of its concentration in a manner that is described by the equation for affinity electrophoresis. Analysis of the suppression of the affinophoresis on the addition of neutral sugars to the system allowed the determination of the dissociation constants of the lectin for these neutral sugars. The dissociation constants obtained on affinophoresis agreed well with the values in the literature. The preparation of a monoligand affinophore for ligands bearing an amino group should facilitate the application of this type of microscale analysis (0.14 ng of protein for each run) to protein ligand interactions.

Synthesis of the trisaccharide repeating unit of the atypical O-antigen polysaccharide from Danish Helicobacter pylori strains employing the 2'-carboxybenzyl glycoside.

[reaction: see text] Synthesis of the unique trisaccharide repeating unit of the O-polysaccharide of the lipopolysaccharide from Danish Helicobacter pylori strains has been accomplished. Key steps include the coupling of three monosaccharide moieties by glycosylations employing the 2'-carboxybenzyl glycoside method. Also presented is a method for the synthesis of the novel branched sugar, 3-C-methyl-D-mannose, which is one of three monosaccharide components.