Yuxiang Huang | Search PubMed

PubMed2006

Defining the CD59-C9 binding interaction.

CD59 is a membrane glycoprotein that regulates formation of the cytolytic membrane attack complex (MAC or C5b-9) on host cell membranes. It functions by binding to C8 (alpha chain) and C9 after their structural rearrangement during MAC assembly. Previous studies indicated that the CD59 binding site in C9 was located within a 25-residue disulfide-bonded loop, and in C8alpha was located within a 51-residue sequence that overlaps the CD59 binding region of C9. By peptide screens and the use of peptides in binding assays, functional assays, and computer modeling and docking studies, we have identified a 6-residue sequence of human C9, spanning residues 365-371, as the primary CD59 recognition domain involved in CD59-mediated regulation of MAC formation. The data also indicate that both C8alpha and C9 bind to a similar or overlapping site on CD59. Furthermore, data from CD59-peptide docking models are consistent with the C9 binding site on CD59 located at a hydrophobic pocket, putatively identified previously by CD59 mutational and modeling studies.

Binding Sites↗

PubMed2005

Insights into the human CD59 complement binding interface toward engineering new therapeutics.

CD59 is a 77-amino acid membrane glycoprotein that plays an important role in regulating the terminal pathway of complement by inhibiting formation of the cytolytic membrane attack complex (MAC or C5b-9). The MAC is formed by the self assembly of C5b, C6, C7, C8, and multiple C9 molecules, with CD59 functioning by binding C5b-8 and C5b-9 in the assembling complex. We performed a scanning alanine mutagenesis screen of residues 16-57, a region previously identified to contain the C8/C9 binding interface. We have also created an improved NMR model from previously published data for structural understanding of CD59. Based on the scanning mutagenesis data, refined models, and additional site-specific mutations, we identified a binding interface that is much broader than previously thought. In addition to identifying substitutions that decreased CD59 activity, a surprising number of substitutions significantly enhanced CD59 activity. Because CD59 has significant therapeutic potential for the treatment of various inflammatory conditions, we investigated further the ability to enhance CD59 activity by additional mutagenesis studies. Based on the enhanced activity of membrane-bound mutant CD59 molecules, clinically relevant soluble mutant CD59-based proteins were prepared and shown to have up to a 3-fold increase in complement inhibitory activity.

Alanine↗