Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

K B Reid

Publications and source records attributed to K B Reid.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Human leukocyte C1q receptor binds other soluble proteins with collagen domains.

A receptor binding to the C1q subcomponent of complement has been reported by many workers. In this paper we report for the first time that C1q receptor binds not only to C1q, but also to three other structurally similar ligands, namely mannan binding protein (MBP), conglutinin, and lung surfactant protein (SP-A). All these ligands have been reported to enhance removal of species bound to their globular domain from blood (MBP, conglutinin, C1q) or lung (SP-A) through phagocytosis. One of the possible roles for ligand-receptor binding may be initiation of phagocytosis.

Binding, Competitive↗
PubMed1990

Binding of the pentamer/hexamer forms of mannan-binding protein to zymosan activates the proenzyme C1r2C1s2 complex, of the classical pathway of complement, without involvement of C1q.

The serum lectin, mannan binding protein (MBP), was isolated in a yield of 40 micrograms/liter from pooled normal human serum by affinity chromatography on mannan-Sepharose, followed by gel-filtration and ion-exchange chromatography and finally by passage down an anti-IgM Sepharose column. A rabbit antiserum was prepared against the purified MBP and an enzyme-linked immunoassay developed that used both the specificity of the polyclonal antibody and the Ca+(+)-dependent carbohydrate binding property of MBP. Assay of the sera from 103 blood-donors showed a wide range of MBP levels, ranging from 0 to 870 micrograms/liter. MBP, after interaction with zymosan, caused efficient activation of a C1r2 125I-C1s2 complex that was prepared by incubation of 125I-C1s2 with serum, from a patient with a complete genetic deficiency of C1q, followed by gel-filtration on Sepharose 6B. The purified MBP is composed of a mixture of trimers, tetramers, pentamers, and hexamers of an approximate 90-kDa structural unit as judged by chromatography, SDS-PAGE and electron microscopy studies. Only the molecules in the pentamer/hexamer fraction, which have a similar overall structure to that of C1q, appeared to cause efficient, zymosan-dependent, activation of C1s within the C1r2C1s2 complex. The pentamer/hexamer form of MBP may therefore play an important role in antibody-independent activation of the C system during the early stages of certain infections.

Calcium↗
PubMed1989

Amylin and the amylin gene: structure, function and relationship to islet amyloid and to diabetes mellitus.

Amylin, the major peptide component of the islet amyloid commonly found in the pancreases of patients with type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), is a recently discovered islet polypeptide. This peptide has many structural and functional features suggesting that it is a novel hormone, which may control carbohydrate metabolism in partnership with insulin and other glucoregulatory factors. Amylin is synthesised in, and probably secreted from, the beta-cells of the islets of Langerhans, where it has recently been immunolocalised to secretory granules. DNA cloning studies indicate that in the human and the rat, amylin is generated from a precursor, preproamylin, which displays a typical signal peptide followed by a small prohormone-like sequence containing the amylin sequence. The presence of the signal peptide suggests that amylin is secreted and plays a physiological role. Amylin is probably generated by proteolytic processing similar to that for proinsulin and other islet prohormones. The human amylin gene encodes the complete polypeptide precursor in two exons which are separated by an intron of approx. 5 kb, and is located on chromosome 12. Amylin is a potent modulator of glycogen synthesis and glucose uptake in skeletal muscle, and is capable of inducing an insulin-resistant state in this tissue in vitro, and perhaps also in the liver in vivo. In normal metabolism, amylin could act in concert with insulin as a signal for the body to switch the site of carbohydrate disposal from glycogen to longer-term stores in adipose tissue, by making skeletal muscle relatively insulin-resistant, whilst at the same time leaving rates of insulin-stimulated carbohydrate metabolism in adipose tissue unaltered. Several lines of evidence now implicate elevated amylin levels in the pathogenic mechanisms underlying NIDDM, and suggest to us that the obesity which frequently accompanies this syndrome is a result of, rather than a risk factor for, NIDDM. Following the beta-cell destruction which occurs in type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus (IDDM), it is probable that amylin secretion disappears in addition to that of insulin. As patients with insulin-treated IDDM frequently experience problems with hypoglycaemia, and as amylin acts to modulate the action of insulin in various tissues, it is possible that amylin deficiency may contribute to morbidity in insulin-treated IDDM, perhaps through the loss of a natural damping mechanism which guards against hypoglycaemia under conditions of normal physiology.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1989

Molecular cloning and characterization of the complementary DNA coding for the B-chain of murine Clq.

cDNA clones coding for the B-chain of murine Clq were isolated from a mouse macrophage library. The characterized clones include the total coding region plus a leader sequence. High homology was found with human Clq B-chain in the coding region (81%). Northern blot analysis of total RNA from different tissues of Balb/c mice showed one band of approximately 1.2 kb. The highest signal was found in RNA preparations of thioglycolate-activated peritoneal macrophages. The probe also hybridized with mRNA from spleen, thymus and heart. Extremely weak signals were found in liver, kidney, lung and intestine tissues.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Secondary structure in properdin of the complement cascade and related proteins: a study by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.

Six structural repeat motifs of 58 amino acids are found in the sequence of both mouse and human properdins. Twelve more examples of the motif are available from the sequences of thrombospondin, the terminal complement components, and the thrombospondin-related anonymous protein. The averaged Robson and Chou-Fasman secondary structure predictions show that there are 57-66% turn and 19-38% beta-sheet structures in the typical repeat motif. The high amount of turn structure is consistent with Gly, Pro, Cys, and Ser being the four most abundant amino acid residues in properdin. Comparisons with sequences found in the circumsporozoite protein from several species of malaria parasites show that their sequences and secondary structures strongly coincide only in a 18-residue segment. Further secondary structure analysis utilized Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy of human properdin in 2H2O buffers. These show a broad amide I band that, after second-derivative and deconvolution calculations, is shown to be composed of several components. Two at 1633 and 1683 cm-1 are strong evidence for beta-sheet structure, although overlap from beta-turns can also contribute. The presence of beta-turn structure is indicated by absorptions at 1662-1675 and 1645 cm-1. The properdin structure contains substantial quantities of beta-sheet and beta-turn structures, which is consistent with the secondary structure predictions and amino acid compositions. The length of the repeat motif is estimated as 3.3-4.3 nm, and an estimated 14-22% of nonexchanged amide protons reside in properdin. This is suggestive of a high degree of solvent accessibility in the structure.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1989

Structures and functions associated with the group of mammalian lectins containing collagen-like sequences.

The number of proteins found in body fluids and at cell surfaces, which are known to display carbohydrate-binding properties, continues to increase rapidly. In these proteins, in addition to a domain associated with lectin properties, one or more, non-lectin domains are present. It is possible that binding of sugar residues by the lectin domain may be important in triggering a variety of recognition and clearance mechanisms via the non-lectin domains. The group of lectins containing collagen-like sequences may provide some insight into structure/function relationships of the different domains in view of the well defined structures already available for several of these molecules.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1989

Disulfide bonds are localized within the short consensus repeat units of complement regulatory proteins: C4b-binding protein.

Several plasma and membrane proteins belong to a superfamily of structurally related proteins that contain internal homology of a variable number (2-30) of repeating units. Each SCR (short consensus repeat) unit is approximately 60 amino acid residues in length, with the positions of 1 Trp, 2 Pro, and 4 Cys residues being conserved. The aim of this study was to provide experimental evidence that each SCR may exist as an independent structural domain maintained by disulfide bonds. The well-characterized C4b-binding protein (C4BP) with eight SCR units in each of its seven identical chains was chosen for this study. Analysis of the disulfide-bonding pattern indicated that intrachain disulfide bonds may be localized within each SCR unit, with the first and third and the second and fourth half-cystines in each unit being linked. This pattern of disulfides may confer to C4BP (and to other structurally related proteins) a conformation which apparently allows the assembly of the SCR units (4-30) in a tandem fashion. Such an arrangement of the polypeptide chain(s) may explain, in part, the elongated shape of these protein molecules. The structural motif of the SCR units of C4BP is discussed in relation to those previously described for the type II domain of fibronectin and the kringle structure present in various proteins of the coagulation system.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1989

Structure-function relationships of the complement components.

The primary amino acid sequences of the 20 complement components and control proteins, found in plasma, and of many of the cell-surface molecules associated with the control of the complement system are known from recent cDNA cloning studies. This has indicated that most of these proteins contain a number of well-defined domains of 40-80 amino acids: between two and 30 domains of one type are found in some of the proteins, while others show a mosaic structure composed of more than three different types of domain. The same types of domain are found in a growing number of non-complement proteins such as blood clotting factors and certain cell adhesion molecules. The main purpose of a recent meeting was to assess and correlate the data emerging from structure comparison and prediction techniques and from functional and physicochemical studies of isolated domains and whole proteins.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1989

Localization of the properdin structural locus to Xp11.23-Xp21.1.

Properdin is a serum protein belonging to the alternative pathway of complement activation whose absence is often associated with fatal bacterial infections. Properdin deficiency segregates with an X-linked recessive pattern and its position has been recently refined by genetic linkage analysis to the proximal part of the X-chromosome short arm near the OTC and DXS7 loci. We have hybridized an 0.8-kb genomic clone encoding part of the human properdin gene to a panel of somatic cell hybrids retaining different portions of the human X chromosome and thereby localized the probe to Xcen-Xp21.1. Furthermore, in situ hybridization of the same probe to replication banded metaphase chromosomes refined this localization to the region Xp11.23-Xp21.1 (with a peak grain distribution in the region equivalent to Xp11.4). As OTC and DXS7 map to Xp21.1 and Xp11.3, respectively, the data presented here strongly suggest that the X-linked deficiency syndrome is due to a defect in the locus encoding the structural properdin gene or in a physically close regulatory locus.

Autoradiography↗
PubMed1989

Deficiency of the first component of human complement.

C1 deficiency results from an absence or lowering of the level of one or more of the proteins C1q, C1r and C1s, which are the subcomponents of the C1 complex of the classical pathway of the serum complement system. The major clinical pattern shown in such deficiency states is an inability to deal effectively with immune complexes, resulting in the typical symptoms associated with immune-complex-related diseases and a great susceptibility to recurrent bacterial infections. Both acquired and genetic deficiencies of the C1 subcomponents have been reported; the possible genetic deficiencies appear quite rare, with only 14 reports of C1q deficiency (involving 24 people) and six reports of C1r/C1s deficiency (involving 11 people) appearing in the literature to date.

Complement Activation↗
PubMed1989

Characterization of the human C1q receptor.

At the meeting new procedures were reported for the isolation of the receptor which binds to the collagen-stalks of C1q, a subcomponent to the macromolecular complex, C1. The C1q-receptor was isolated from human tonsil cells, by a two-step procedure which did not involve affinity chromatography on C1q-Sepharose. In solution the C1q-receptor from tonsil cells behaved as an elongated dimer of two approx. 60 kDa chains. A C1q-receptor preparation isolated from human phagocytes, using pepsin-digested C1q for affinity chromatography, was found to be predominantly a molecule of approx. 120 kDa as assessed by SDS-PAGE. The amino acid compositions of C1q-receptor preparations derived from Raji (B-lymphoblastoid) and U937 (monocytic) cell-lines were found to be very similar. These results suggest that the human C1q-receptor may be a one-chain molecule, and also raise the possibility that there is more than one type of C1q receptor on cell surfaces.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1989

Chemistry and molecular genetics of C1q.

C1q has a hexameric structure with six triple helices being formed between the collagen-like sequences of its 6A, 6B and 6C chains and globular 'heads' being formed from the C-terminal portions of these chains. Thus the molecule is composed of six globular 'heads' linked via six collagen-like 'stalks' to a fibril-like central region. The collagen-like regions interact with the C1r2-C1s2 proenzyme complex to yield C1, the first component of complement. Activation of C1 by immune complexes is mediated by the ionic binding of two, or more, of the 'heads' of C1q to the C gamma 2 domains of IgG or C mu 3 domains of IgM. Removal of the activated C1r2-C1s2 complex by C1-inhibitor leaves the collagen-like 'stalks' of C1q free to bind to cell-surface C1q-receptors. Three other proteins, conglutinin, mannan-binding protein and lung-surfactant protein are structurally similar in many respects to C1q and may also bind to receptors via their collagen-like regions although they show carbohydrate binding properties via their globular 'heads'. The availability of cDNA and genomic clones for the chains of C1q has allowed studies on their location and organisation and also on the analysis of DNA from C1q deficient individuals. The human A and B chain genes are located approx. 20kb apart on chromosome 1p, each gene being approx. 2kb long and each containing one intron of about 1kb. Genetic C1q deficiency in one individual has been shown to be due to the generation of a stop codon by a single point mutation at residue 150 in the coding region of the B chain.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Characterization of C1q-binding material released from the membranes of Raji and U937 cells by limited proteolysis with trypsin.

C1q-binding material was released, by limited proteolysis with trypsin, from the membranes of intact cells of the Raji lymphoblastoid cell line and the U937 monocytic cell line. The trypsin-digested C1q-binding material was purified from the supernatant of the trypsin-treated cells by affinity chromatography on C1q-Sepharose followed by gel filtration. On gel filtration in non-dissociating conditions this material behaved as a molecule of approx. Mr 65,000, while on SDS/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis two peptides of Mr 10,000 and Mr 15,000 were seen under both reducing and non-reducing conditions. Evidence for the synthesis of the C1q-binding material by both Raji and U937 cells was obtained by biosynthetic-labelling studies using [35S]cysteine and [35S]methionine.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Properdin, the terminal complement components, thrombospondin and the circumsporozoite protein of malaria parasites contain similar sequence motifs.

Properdin is a plasma glycoprotein which stabilizes the C3bnBb enzyme complex of the alternative pathway of the complement system. Unlike the classical pathway, which is initiated by interaction of C1q with the Fc regions of IgG or IgM antibodies in immune complexes, the alternative pathway can be directly activated via binding of C3b to surfaces of foreign organisms. The stabilized C3bnBbP complex activates components C3 and C5 resulting in opsonization of foreign material (via C3b) and assembly of the membrane attack complex (via C5b) on target cells. Therefore properdin greatly enhances complement-mediated clearance and inactivation mechanisms in both natural and acquired resistance to infection. This paper shows that the primary amino acid sequence of properdin is composed mainly of six repeating motifs, each of approximately 60 amino acids, and that similar sequences are found in thrombospondin, the circumsporozoite protein of malaria parasites and regions of the membrane-attack components of complement. These similarities may provide insight into the mechanisms by which parasites avoid host defences mediated by complement.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1988

Reversible biotinylation of C1q with a cleavable biotinyl derivative. Application in C1q receptor (C1qR) purification.

Reversible biotinylation of human C1q without impairment of its physiologic functions has allowed us to develop a simple and rapid purification method for C1q receptor (C1qR). The biotinylating reagent, NHS-SS-biotin (Mr 606.7) contains an extended connector or cross-linker arm which limits steric hindrance and is bridged by a cleavable disulfide bond to the biotin component. Biotinylation was achieved by mixing C1q (in PBS, pH 7.4) with NHS-SS-biotin (dissolved in dimethyl formamide) in a 50:1 v/v and 1:25 mol/mol ratio and allowing the reaction to continue at room temperature for 4 h. The mixture was then dialyzed against PBS pH 7.4 (2 X 1 liter) and analyzed by SDS-PAGE and hemolytic assay using C1q depleted serum. Under these conditions neither denaturation of the protein nor loss of hemolytic activity was evident. Such biotinylated C1q (Bio-C1q) was used to pull out the C1qR from detergent-solubilized (1% NP-40 in PBS, pH 7.4 plus inhibitors) 125I-surface labeled membrane solution that had been first centrifuged (1 h, 45,000 X g, 4 degrees C) and then sequentially precleared with immobilized protein A, protein A-IgG and gelatin. The mixture of Bio-C1q and membrane solution was then incubated (20 h, 4 degrees C), applied to immobilized avidin (equilibrated with PBS, pH 7.4, 0.1% NP-40) and after washing, the bound C1qR was eluted with equilibrating buffer containing 1 M NaCl, and the C1q by same buffer containing 100 mM DTT. The eluted C1qR contained a major Mr 70,000 molecule which upon reduction electrophoresed with an apparent Mr of 85,000-90,000 as assessed by SDS-PAGE analysis. In addition, a faint single chain band of 30-40 kDa was eluted with the major band and may represent a non-covalently associated part of the C1qR molecule.

Avidin↗