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D Holowka

Publications and source records attributed to D Holowka.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Altered patterns of tyrosine phosphorylation and Syk activation for sterically restricted cyclic dimers of IgE-Fc epsilonRI.

Previous studies in our laboratory established that the symmetrical bivalent ligand, N,N'-bis-[[epsilon-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)amino]caproyl]-L-tyrosyl]-L-cystin e ((DCT)2-cys), stably cross-links anti-2,4-dinitrophenyl-immunoglobulin E (IgE) bound to high affinity receptors Fc epsilonRI on the surface of RBL-2H3 cells, forming mostly cyclic dimers containing two IgE-Fc epsilonRI and two (DCT)2-cys (Posner et al. (1995) J. Immunol. 155, 3601-3609). These cyclic dimers do not trigger Ca2+ or degranulation responses under a variety of conditions. However, we find that the linearly cross-linked IgE-Fc epsilonRI formed at higher concentrations of (DCT)2-cys do trigger degranulation in the presence of cytochalasin D, an inhibitor of actin polymerization. We further investigated stimulation by (DCT)2-cys of the earliest known events in the functional response, i.e., tyrosine phosphorylation of the beta and gamma subunits of Fc epsilonRI. At the higher (DCT)2-cys concentrations corresponding to linear dimers and maximal degranulation, tyrosine phosphorylation of both beta and gamma are observed. At lower (DCT)2-cys concentrations where cross-linking is maximal and cyclic dimers are overwhelmingly dominant, only gamma tyrosine phosphorylation is observed. Cytochalasin D does not affect these phosphorylation patterns, but instead appears to enhance coupling to downstream signaling events. Phosphorylation of Syk occurs at the higher (DCT)2-cys concentrations in parallel with beta phosphorylation but does not occur in its absence at the lower (DCT)2-cys concentrations. These results suggest that cyclic dimers of IgE-Fc epsilonRI are sterically restricted such that they stimulate tyrosine phosphorylation of gamma but not beta, and this is not sufficient for Syk binding and/or activation.

Cell Line↗

Compartmentalized activation of the high affinity immunoglobulin E receptor within membrane domains.

The earliest known step in the activation of the high affinity IgE receptor, FcepsilonRI, is the tyrosine phosphorylation of its beta and gamma subunits by the Src family tyrosine kinase, Lyn. We report here that aggregation-dependent association of FcepsilonRI with specialized regions of the plasma membrane precedes its tyrosine phosphorylation and appears necessary for this event. Tyrosine phosphorylation of beta and gamma occurs in intact cells only for FcepsilonRI that associate with these detergent-resistant membrane domains, which are enriched in active Lyn. Furthermore, efficient in vitro tyrosine phosphorylation of FcepsilonRI subunits occurs only for those associated with isolated domains. This association and in vitro phosphorylation are highly sensitive to low concentrations of detergent, suggesting that lipid-mediated interactions with Lyn are important in FcepsilonRI activation. Participation of membrane domains accounts for previously unexplained aspects of FcepsilonRI-mediated signaling and may be relevant to signaling by other multichain immune receptors.

Cell Line↗

Sustained T cell receptor-mediated Ca2+ responses rely on dynamic engagement of receptors.

We have investigated the functional advantage of surface-attached ligands for TCR-mediated cell activation with flow cytometric measurements of cytoplasmic Ca2+ changes in T cells after aggregation of TCR by soluble and bead-attached mAb. Conjugation of HPB-ALL human leukemia cells with cell-sized beads coated with anti-TCR mAb causes a stronger, more sustained Ca2+ response than that produced by the soluble form of the same mAb. Addition of a large excess of the soluble mAb subsequent to stimulation with the beads causes a marked reduction in the response of the bead-conjugated cells, but only limited disruption of the conjugates. Free (nonconjugated) cells, sampled simultaneously in this mixture, respond to the soluble mAb with a transient Ca2+ increase that declines with the same kinetics as the bead-conjugated cells after addition of the soluble mAb. Fab fragments of the anti-TCR mAb cause a similar reduction in the response of the bead-conjugated cells, and they do not stimulate free cells. Following the Fab-mediated decline in cytoplasmic Ca2+ of conjugated cells to near-baseline concentrations, the addition of a second, noncompetitive, anti-TCR mab causes a Ca2+ response that is substantially reduced in magnitude compared with that for the free cells. The results indicate that soluble and surface-attached ligands cause TCR-specific desensitization of the Ca2+ response. Surface-attached ligands are more effective than soluble ligands in sustaining signaling in T cells at least in part because they facilitate steady association and/or reassociation of TCR into the bound state in the surface contact area.

Aluminum Compounds↗

The Fc segment of IgE influences the kinetics of dissociation of a symmetrical bivalent ligand from cyclic dimeric complexes.

As part of a systematic effort to determine the features of immunoglobulin E-receptor (IgE-Fc epsilon RI) aggregation that are critical for cellular activation, we used fluorescence to examine the dissociation of a soluble bivalent ligand, N, N'-bis[[epsilon-[(2,4-dinitrophenyl)amino]caproyl]-L-tyrosyl]-L-cystine ((DCT)2-cys), from soluble bivalent IgE and its bivalent F(ab')2 and monovalent Fab' fragments. Cross-linking of Fab' fragments by (DCT)2-cys is limited to linear dimers, and we find that (DCT)2-cys dissociation from Fab' occurs with a single kinetic coefficient [(4.2 +/- 0.6) x 10-3 s-1] that corresponds to the lower of the two kinetic coefficients observed with the bivalent IgE [(4.7 +/- 0.7) x 10-2 s-1 and (4.4 +/- 0.3) x 10-3 s-1]. Similarly, the lower value is obtained for dissociation of (DCT)2-cys that is monovalently bound to IgE after incubation with a large excess of the ligand. (DCT)2-cys can bind to bivalent F(ab')2 fragments and form a variety of linear and cyclic aggregates, similarly to IgE, but, unlike IgE, we find that dissociation occurs with a single kinetic coefficient similar to that observed for Fab'. We find that IgE and its (Fab')2 fragments form highly stable cyclic dimer rings with two (DCT)2-cys. We demonstrate that the kinetic coefficients are independent of enhanced fluorescence quenching observed for bound sites in cyclic dimers. Together, the results show that the rate constant for breaking a linear cross-link formed by (DCT)2-cys is the same as that for dissociation of the monovalently bound (DCT)2-cys. Further, they show that opening of a bond in a dimer ring for the F(ab')2 fragment occurs with approximately the same dissociation rate constant as opening a bond in a linear cross-link. This rate constant is about three times smaller than that observed with IgE, suggesting that steric strain is caused by apposed Fc segments in cyclic IgE dimers. Such structural interference may affect the functional consequences of IgE-Fc epsilon RI aggregation on the cell surface.

Animals↗

Fc epsilon RI-mediated association of 6-micron beads with RBL-2H3 mast cells results in exclusion of signaling proteins from the forming phagosome and abrogation of normal downstream signaling.

Cells of the mucosal mast cell line, RBL-2H3, are normally stimulated to degranulate after aggregation of high affinity receptors for IgE (Fc epsilon RI) by soluble cross-linking ligands. This cellular degranulation process requires sustained elevation of cytoplasmic Ca2+. In this study, we investigated the response of RBL-2H3 cells to 6-micron beads coated with IgE-specific ligands. These ligand-coated beads cause only small, transient Ca2+ responses, even though the same ligands added in soluble form cause larger, more sustained Ca2+ responses. The ligand-coated 6-micron beads also fail to stimulate significant degranulation of RBL-2H3 cells, whereas much larger ligand-coated Sepharose beads stimulate ample degranulation. Confocal fluorescence microscopy shows that the 6-micron beads (but not the Sepharose beads) are phagocytosed by RBL-2H3 cells and that, beginning with the initial stages of bead engulfment, there is exclusion of many plasma membrane components from the 6-micron bead/cell interface, including p53/56lyn and several other markers for detergent-resistant membrane domains, as well as an integrin and unliganded IgE-Fc epsilon RI. The fluorescent lipid probe DiIC16 is a marker for the membrane domains that is excluded from the cell/bead interface, whereas a structural analogue, fast DiI, which differs from DiIC16 by the presence of unsaturated acyl chains, is not substantially excluded from the interface. None of these components are excluded from the interface of RBL-2H3 cells and the large Sepharose beads. Additional confocal microscopy analysis indicates that microfilaments are involved in the exclusion of plasma membrane components from the cell/bead interface. These results suggest that initiation of phagocytosis diverts normal signaling pathways in a cytoskeleton-driven membrane clearance process that alters the physiological response of the cells.

Animals↗

Antigen-mediated IGE receptor aggregation and signaling: a window on cell surface structure and dynamics.

The high-affinity receptor for immunoglobulin E, Fc epsilon RI, serves as an archtype for multisubunit immunoreceptors that mediate cell activation in response to foreign antigens. Antigen-mediated aggregation of this receptor at the surface of mast cells and basophils initiates a biochemical cascade that uses nonreceptor tyrosine kinases as key participants in the earliest steps of this signal transduction process. Cross-linking of Fc epsilon RI with ligands of well-defined structure and valency has revealed detailed information about the fundamental requirements for functionally active receptor aggregates. Cross-linking-dependent changes in the interaction of these receptors with other cellular components have been characterized with biochemical and biophysical methods to develop a more complete view of signal initiation. Recent evidence suggests that this process involves the interaction of aggregated Fc epsilon RI with specialized plasma membrane domains that may localize important signaling molecules in the vicinity of aggregated receptors. Although these various studies were aimed toward understanding the operation of one cell surface receptor, they provide new insights into plasma membrane structure and dynamics that are generally relevant to the function of most nucleated mammalian cells.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Fluorescence resonance energy transfer reveals interleukin (IL)-1-dependent aggregation of IL-1 type I receptors that correlates with receptor activation.

Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) was used to investigate whether interleukin-1 (IL-1) causes the aggregation of IL-1 type I receptors (IL-1 RI) at the cell surface. For these experiments, a noncompetitive anti-IL1 RI monoclonal antibody, M5, was labeled separately with a donor probe, fluorescein isothiocyanate, or with an acceptor carbocyanine probe, Cy3. Donor-labeled M5 and acceptor-labeled M5 were simultaneously bound to transfected mouse IL-1 RI on either C-127 mouse mammary carcinoma cells or on Chinese hamster ovary (CHO)-K1 cells, and the ratio of acceptor emission at 590 nm to donor emission at 525 nm (excitation at 488 and 514 nm) was monitored with flow cytometry as an indicator of FRET. Addition of a saturating concentration of human IL-1 alpha at 22 degrees C causes a time-dependent increase in FRET for both cell lines that indicates IL-1-dependent self-association of IL-1 RI. Binding of the IL-1 receptor antagonist at 22 degrees C causes little or no FRET for both cell lines, indicating a correlation between receptor aggregation and the ability of the ligand to stimulate a functional response. When donor-labeled and acceptor-labeled Fab fragments of M5 are used to monitor FRET, IL-1 alpha causes efficient energy transfer in the CHO-K1 cells at 22 degrees C, but not at 4 degrees C. In contrast, IL-1 alpha causes much less FRET at 22 degrees C in C-127 cells when the M5 Fab fragments are used instead of the intact bivalent M5. In a striking parallel, IL-1 alpha-dependent activation of prostaglandin E2 production depends on the bivalent M5 antibody in the C-127 cells, but is independent of this monoclonal antibody in the CHO-K1 cells. These results provide a strong correlation between the ability of IL-1 to cause the aggregation of IL-1 RI and the stimulation of a functional response.

Animals↗

Simultaneous cross-linking by two nontriggering bivalent ligands causes synergistic signaling of IgE Fc epsilon RI complexes.

We have used two bivalent ligands that bind IgE to study the relationship between the aggregation of receptors with high affinity for IgE (Fc epsilon RI) and the responses (receptor immobilization, Ca2+ influx, and degranulation) of rat basophilic leukemia (RBL-2H3) cells. One of these is a symmetric bivalent ligand, N,N'-bis[[epsilon-[(2,4-dinitrophenyl)amino]caproyl]-L-tyrosyl]-L- cystine ((DCT)2-cys), which binds specifically to the combining sites of a mAb anti-DNP IgE and efficiently cross-links cell surface IgE, but does not trigger significant degranulation or increases in intracellular Ca2+. Several lines of evidence, including lateral mobility measurements, indicate that this ligand preferentially forms stable cyclic complexes containing two (DCT)2-cys and two IgE. The second ligand is a mAb anti-IgE, B1E3, which causes lateral mobility changes consistent with dimerized IgE-Fc epsilon RI and also does not trigger increases in intracellular Ca2+ or degranulation. The two ligands together trigger robust responses. In the presence of B1E3, (DCT)2-cys causes immobilization of IgE-Fc epsilon RI in a broad concentration range; in a more narrow concentration range, it is a potent stimulant of changes in both degranulation and Ca2+. We have compared the dose-response curves for cellular activation to simulated IgE aggregation curves, i.e., curves that predict the equilibrium IgE aggregate size distribution as a function of the (DCT)2-cys concentration. Our results indicate that maximal cellular activation occurs at a much higher (DCT)2-cys concentration than maximal IgE aggregation. When IgE aggregation is maximal, almost all aggregated IgE is in cyclic dimers. Thus, cyclic dimers appear to be functionally ineffective, even after they have been cross-linked by B1E3. Aggregated IgE-Fc epsilon RI that is effective in stimulating a cellular response may have particular structural or dynamic properties that allow critical interactions for initiating the signaling cascade.

Animals↗

Fc epsilon RI-mediated recruitment of p53/56lyn to detergent-resistant membrane domains accompanies cellular signaling.

Detergent-resistant plasma membrane structures, such as caveolae, have been implicated in signalling, transport, and vesicle trafficking functions. Using sucrose gradient ultracentrifugation, we have isolated low-density, Triton X-100-insoluble membrane domains from RBL-2H3 mucosal mast cells that contain several markers common to caveolae, including a src-family tyrosine kinase, p53/56lyn. Aggregation of Fc epsilon RI, the high-affinity IgE receptor, causes a significant increase in the amount of p53/56lyn associated with these low-density membrane domains. Under our standard conditions for lysis, IgE-Fc epsilon RI fractionates with the majority of the solubilized proteins, whereas aggregated receptor complexes are found at a higher density in the gradient. Stimulated translocation of p53/56lyn is accompanied by increased tyrosine phosphorylation of several proteins in the low-density membrane domains as well as enhanced in vitro tyrosine kinase activity toward these proteins and an exogenous substrate. With a lower detergent-to-cell ratio during lysis, significant Fc epsilon RI remains associated with these membrane domains, consistent with the ability to coimmunoprecipitate tyrosine kinase activity with Fc epsilon RI under similar lysis conditions [Pribluda, V. S., Pribluda, C. & Metzger, H. (1994) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 91, 11246-11250]. These results indicate that specialized membrane domains may be directly involved in the coupling of receptor aggregation to the activation of signaling events.

Animals↗

Effects of subunit mutation on the rotational dynamics of Fc epsilon RI, the high affinity receptor for IgE, in transfected cells.

Erythrosin-labeled immunoglobulin E (IgE) and time-resolved phosphorescence anisotropy were used to monitor the rotational dynamics of transfected wild-type (alpha beta gamma 2) and four mutant Fc epsilon RI receptors in the monomeric and dimeric state on P815 cells. Erythrosin-IgE bound to Fc epsilon RI on cells transfected with either beta or gamma subunits with truncated COOH-terminal cytoplasmic segments exhibit faster rotational motion than when bound to Fc epsilon RI on cells transfected with wild-type subunits. Deletion of the NH2-terminal cytoplasmic segment of the beta subunit or the COOH-terminal cytoplasmic segment of the alpha subunit does not cause any significant change in the anisotropy decay. Dimers of IgE-receptor complexes formed with anti-IgE monoclonal antibody B1E3 exhibit substantially slower anisotropy decays for all the receptor constructs used, including a receptor construct that only contains the ectodomain of the alpha subunit anchored to Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell membranes through a lipid tail. This loss of rotational motion of dimeric IgE-Fc epsilon RI complexes may be due to nonspecific entanglement or to specific interactions involving IgE or the extracellular portion of alpha. The results suggest that the beta and gamma subunits of the tetrameric alpha beta gamma 2 receptor participate in interactions with other membrane components even in the absence of receptor aggregation. The loss of such interactions may be related to the functional impairments previously determined for these mutants.

Animals↗

Alteration of lipid composition modulates Fc epsilon RI signaling in RBL-2H3 cells.

We have used sonicated liposomes of phosphatidylcholine (PC), sphingomyelin (SM), or a mixture of cholesterol (chol) and PC to investigate the role of cellular lipid composition in Fc epsilon RI-mediated stimulation of RBL-2H3 cells. Overnight treatment with either PC or SM liposomes causes a substantial enhancement of antigen-stimulated degranulation and phospholipase A2 activity, whereas treatment with a PC/chol mixture results in partial inhibition of the antigen-stimulated response. The most consistent change in the cellular lipid composition that results from the PC and SM liposome treatments is an approximate 40% decrease in the chol/phospholipid (PL) ratio. The lipid treatments do not alter degranulation stimulated by AlF4- or by Ca2+ ionophore in the presence or absence of PMA, suggesting that lipid alteration affects a receptor-specific signaling process. The lipid treatments do not appear to alter antigen-stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation or Ca2+ mobilization. Possible involvement of protein kinase C (PKC) activation in the signal-enhancing effect of the PL treatments was investigated by using calphostin C and phorbol-12-myristol-13-acetate (PMA) to inhibit PKC activity and degranulation in RBL-2H3 cells. Both SM and PC treatment restore the antigen-mediated degranulation response that is inhibited by long-term treatment (> or = 16 h) with 100 nM PMA or short-term treatment (10 min) with 5 microM calphostin C. The results indicate that a decreased chol/PL ratio facilitates or enhances the receptor-mediated activation of a PKC-like pathway that plays an important role in Fc epsilon RI-stimulated degranulation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Antigens↗

Disparate modulation of plasma membrane protein lateral mobility by various cell permeabilizing agents.

The mobility of a cell surface protein on cells osmotically swollen by treatment with several different cell permeabilizing agents retains specific restraints despite detachment of the plasma membrane from the cortical cytoskeleton. Fluorescence photobleaching recovery experiments indicate that the lateral diffusion constants of immunoglobulin E (IgE)-receptor complexes on the surface of rat basophilic leukemia cells increase 2-5x following permeabilization with streptolysin O or digitonin, with little change in their mobile fractions. Swelling by hypo-osmotic treatment in water enhances lateral diffusion of IgE-receptor complexes and raises the mobile fractions to near 100%. In contrast, swelling by treatment with filipin arrests lateral diffusion, although rotational mobility remains unhindered. Lateral mobility of a fluorescent lipid analogue remains unchanged under these conditions. Crosslinking by anti-IgE antibodies redistributes the IgE-receptor complexes into large patches on untreated cells and on cells swollen by permeabilization with streptolysin O or digitonin, but not on cells swollen by treatment with filipin. The results indicate a diversity of effects of the various permeabilizing agents on the mobility of membrane proteins. In particular, treatment with filipin appears to reorganize the plasma membrane into a network of fluid domains on a scale smaller than the bleaching spot size used (approximately 1.5 microns).

Animals↗

Large-scale co-aggregation of fluorescent lipid probes with cell surface proteins.

Large scale aggregation of fluorescein-labeled immunoglobulin E (IgE) receptor complexes on the surface of RBL cells results in the co-aggregation of a large fraction of the lipophilic fluorescent probe 3,3'-dihexadecylindocarbocyanine (diI) that labels the plasma membranes much more uniformly in the absence of receptor aggregation. Most of the diI molecules that are localized in patches of aggregated receptors have lost their lateral mobility as determined by fluorescence photobleaching recovery. The diI outside of patches is mobile, and its mobility is similar to that in control cells without receptor aggregates. It is unlikely that the co-aggregation of diI with IgE receptors is due to specific interactions between these components, as two other lipophilic probes of different structures are also observed to redistribute with aggregated IgE receptors, and aggregation of two other cell surface antigens also results in the coredistribution of diI at the RBL cell surface. Quantitative analysis of CCD images of labeled cells reveals some differences in the spatial distributions of co-aggregated diI and IgE receptors. The results indicate that cross-linking of specific cell surface antigens causes a substantial change in the organization of the plasma membrane by redistributing pre-existing membrane domains or causing their formation.

Carbocyanines↗

Heterologous desensitization of the high affinity receptor for IgE (Fc epsilon R1) on RBL cells.

To study the properties of Fc epsilon RI desensitization induced by aggregation of that receptor, RBL cells were sensitized with a mixture of two different IgE mAb to create two different populations of IgE-receptor complexes. Cross-linking of one receptor population containing anti-dinitrophenyl (DNP) IgE with a bivalent Ag, 1-DNP-amino-12-biotinamidododecane)2-avidin ((DNP)2-avidin), results in desensitization of a subsequent response, both of the same receptor population (homologous desensitization) and of the second receptor population containing anti-5-dimethylaminonaphthalene-1-sulfonyl (dansyl) IgE (heterologous desensitization). The extent of heterologous desensitization is dependent on several parameters, including the concentration of both the first and the second Ag and the densities of the respective IgE populations. Heterologous desensitization of the Ca2+ response is more sensitive to the concentration of the second stimulus (dansyl-BSA) than heterologous desensitization of the degranulation response. AlF4-, which activates GTP-binding proteins, can effectively replace (DNP)2-avidin as the initial stimulant and desensitizing agent. Other agents that mobilize intracellular Ca2+ including thrombin and a Ca2+ ionophore are less effective at replacing (DNP)2-avidin. Because prestimulation with Ag does not desensitize subsequent responses to AlF4- or Ca2+ ionophore, it appears that signal transduction via Fc epsilon RI is impaired at an early step. Addition of monovalent DNP hapten within approximately 10 min after cross-linking by (DNP)2-avidin completely prevents the desensitization of the subsequent Ca2+ or degranulation response to dansyl-BSA. After longer times of incubation with DNP Ag, the DNP hapten becomes increasingly less effective at preventing the desensitization of the dansyl-BSA response, even though ongoing signal transduction by the DNP Ag is halted. These results suggest a form of cellular memory for the desensitized state.

Aluminum↗

Fc epsilon RI and the T cell receptor for antigen activate similar signalling pathways in T cell-RBL cell hybrids.

In order to investigate the functional similarities of the high affinity receptor for IgE (Fc epsilon RI) and the T cell receptor for antigen, we have developed a high efficiency polyethylene glycol-mediated fusion method to make somatic hybrids between cells from a mast cell line (RBL-2H3) and cells from T lymphoma cell lines (Jurkat and HPB-ALL). Using flow cytometry to select for the heterologously fused cells, we demonstrated that aggregation of the T cell receptor results in the efficient secretion of [3H]5-hydroxytryptamine from RBL cell-derived granules. In addition, both receptors mediate Ca2+ mobilization in the hybrid cells that is insensitive to inhibition by the protein kinase C activator phorbol-12-myristoyl-13-acetate (PMA). In contrast, Ca2+ mobilization caused by aggregation of Fc epsilon RI in the parent RBL cells is completely inhibited by PMA. The results indicate that these two different receptors for foreign antigen can substitute for each other to trigger responses in the hybrid cells that are unique to each cell type. The methodology employed has general utility for studying signal transduction mediated by mammalian cell surface receptors.

Calcium↗

Dynamic conformations compared for IgE and IgG1 in solution and bound to receptors.

Dynamic conformations of two distinct immunoglobulin (Ig) isotypes, murine IgE and human IgG1, were examined with fluorescence resonance energy transfer measurements. The IgE mutant epsilon/C gamma 3* and the IgG1 mutant gamma/C gamma 3* each bind [5-(dimethylamino)naphthalen-1-yl]sulfonyl (DNS) in two identical antigen binding sites at the amino (N)-terminal ends of the Ig in the Fab segments. Eosin-DNS bound in these Fab sites served as the acceptor probe in these studies. Both Ig have a carboxy (C)-terminal domain (C gamma 3*) which contains genetically introduced cysteine residues. Modification of these cysteine sulfhydryls with fluorescein maleimide provided donor probes near the C-terminal ends of the Ig in the Fc segment. Energy transfer between the C-terminal and N-terminal ends was compared for these two Ig in solution and when they were found to their respective high-affinity receptors on plasma membranes: IgE-Fc epsilon RI on RBL cell membranes and IgG1-Fc gamma RI on U937 cell membranes. Previous energy-transfer measurements with these probes yielded an average end-to-end distance of 71 A for IgE in solution and 69 A for IgE bound to Fc epsilon RI, indicating that in both situations IgE is bent such that the axes of the Fab segments and the axis of the Fc segment do not form a planar Y-shape [Zheng, Shopes, Holowka, & Baird (1991) Biochemistry 30, 9125]. In the current study we found the average end-to-end distance for IgG1 in solution is 75 A and greater than or equal to 85 A for IgG1 bound to Fc gamma RI, suggesting an average bend conformation for IgG1 as well. The contributions of segmental flexibility to the average distances were assessed directly by measuring the efficiency of energy transfer as a function of variations in donor quantum yield caused by a collisional quencher and using these data to extract a Gaussian distribution of end-to-end distances. The distribution average (rho) and half-width (hw) were determined to be as follows: rho = 75 A, hw = 24 A for IgE in solution; rho = 71 A, hw = 12 A for IgE bound to Fc epsilon RI; and rho = 100 A, hw = 88 A for IgG in solution.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗

Aggregation of IgE-receptor complexes on rat basophilic leukemia cells does not change the intrinsic affinity but can alter the kinetics of the ligand-IgE interaction.

The aggregation of IgE anchored to high-affinity Fc epsilon receptors on rat basophilic leukemia (RBL) cells by multivalent antigens initiates transmembrane signaling and ultimately cellular degranulation. Previous studies have shown that the rate of dissociation of bivalent and multivalent DNP ligands from RBL cells sensitized with anti-DNP IgE decreases with increasing ligand incubation times. One mechanism proposed for this effect is that when IgE molecules are aggregated, a conformational change occurs that results in an increase in the intrinsic affinity of IgE for antigen. This possibility was tested by measuring the equilibrium constant for the binding of monovalent DNP-lysine to anti-DNP IgE under two conditions, where the cell-bound IgE is dispersed and where it has been aggregated into visible patches on the cell surface using anti-IgE and a secondary antibody. No difference in the equilibrium constant in these two cases was observed. We also measured the rate of dissociation of a monovalent ligand from cell surface IgE under these two conditions. Whereas the affinity for monovalent ligand is not altered by IgE aggregation, we observe that the rate of ligand dissociation from IgE in clusters is slower than the rate of ligand dissociation from unaggregated IgE. These results are discussed in terms of recent theoretical developments concerning effects of receptor density on ligand binding to cell surfaces.

Animals↗

Rotational motion of monomeric and dimeric immunoglobulin E-receptor complexes.

Erythrosin 5'-thiosemicarbazide labeled immunoglobulin E (IgE) was used to monitor the rotational dynamics of monomeric and dimeric Fc epsilon RI receptors for IgE on rat basophilic leukemia (RBL) basophilic leukemia (RBL) cells using time-resolved phosphorescence anisotropy. Receptors were studied both on living RBL cells and on membrane vesicles derived from RBL cell plasma membrane. The un-cross-linked IgE-receptor complexes on cells and vesicles exhibit rotational correlation times that are consistent with those expected for freely rotating monomers, but a small fraction of these complexes on cells may be rotationally immobile. A comparison of the initial phosphorescence anisotropy values for erythrosin-labeled IgE-receptor complexes on cells and vesicles reveals a fast component of rotational motion that is greater on the vesicles and may be due to a site of segmental flexibility in the receptor itself. Dimers of IgE-receptor complexes formed with anti-IgE monoclonal antibodies appear to be largely immobile on cells, but they are mobile on vesicles with a 2-fold larger rotational correlation time than the monomeric complexes. The results suggest that dimeric IgE-receptor complexes undergo interactions with other membrane components on intact cells that do not occur on the membrane vesicles. The possible significance of these interactions to receptor function is discussed.

Animals↗