Schistosoma mansoni soluble egg antigens are internalized by human dendritic cells through multiple C-type lectins and suppress TLR-induced dendritic cell activation.

In schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease caused by helminths, the parasite eggs induce a T helper 2 cell (T(H)2) response in the host. Here, the specific role of human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DCs) in initiation and polarization of the egg-specific T cell responses was examined. We demonstrate that immature DCs (iDCs) pulsed with schistosome soluble egg antigens (SEA) do not show an increase in expression of co-stimulatory molecules or cytokines, indicating that no conventional maturation was induced. The ability of SEA to affect the Toll-like receptor (TLR) induced maturation of iDCs was examined by copulsing the DCs with SEA and TLR-ligands. SEA suppressed both the maturation of iDCs induced by poly-I:C and LPS, as indicated by a decrease in co-stimulatory molecule expression and production of IL-12, IL-6 and TNF-alpha. In addition, SEA suppressed T(H)1 responses induced by the poly-I:C-pulsed DCs, and skewed the LPS-induced mixed response towards a T(H)2 response. Immature DCs rapidly internalized SEA through the C-type lectins DC-SIGN, MGL and the mannose receptor and the antigens were targeted to MHC class II-positive lysosomal compartments. The internalization of SEA by multiple C-type lectins may be important to regulate the response of the iDCs to TLR-induced signals.

Specificity of DC-SIGN for mannose- and fucose-containing glycans.

The dendritic cell specific C-type lectin dendritic cell specific ICAM-3 grabbing non-integrin (DC-SIGN) binds to "self" glycan ligands found on human cells and to "foreign" glycans of bacterial or parasitic pathogens. Here, we investigated the binding properties of DC-SIGN to a large array of potential ligands in a glycan array format. Our data indicate that DC-SIGN binds with K(d)<2muM to a neoglycoconjugate in which Galbeta1-4(Fucalpha1-3)GlcNAc (Le(x)) trisaccharides are expressed multivalently. A lower selective binding was observed to oligomannose-type N-glycans, diantennary N-glycans expressing Le(x) and GalNAcbeta1-4(Fucalpha1-3)GlcNAc (LacdiNAc-fucose), whereas no binding was observed to N-glycans expressing core-fucose linked either alpha1-6 or alpha1-3 to the Asn-linked GlcNAc of N-glycans. These results demonstrate that DC-SIGN is selective in its recognition of specific types of fucosylated glycans and subsets of oligomannose- and complex-type N-glycans.

One-step biotinylation procedure for carbohydrates to study carbohydrate-protein interactions.

Protein-carbohydrate interactions play crucial roles in numerous biological processes. To study these interactions, we developed a simple and fast procedure for the biotinylation of carbohydrates based on reductive amination. The method allows complete and stable biotinylation of small quantities of oligosaccharides and includes a rapid and simple procedure to remove excess labeling reagent. After biotinylation, the structural and biological integrity of the glycans was intact as determined by HPLC, mass spectrometry, and a plant lectin assay. By using the human C-type lectin DC-SIGN (dendritic cell-specific ICAM-3-grabbing nonintegrin), we demonstrate that the biotinylated glycans can be used in a glycan array to determine binding specificities of lectins. Moreover, we show that fluorescent beads coated with selected biotinylated glycans bind to DC-SIGN-expressing dendritic cells in vitro. Finally, by using biotinylated high-mannose N-glycans, we could visualize DC-SIGN-expressing cells in lymph node tissue. The availability of easy biotinylation methods for oligosaccharides such as those described here greatly facilitates the functional analysis of lectins. In addition, the biotinylated glycans will be great tools for investigating functional lectin receptors in situ.

Molecular basis of the differences in binding properties of the highly related C-type lectins DC-SIGN and L-SIGN to Lewis X trisaccharide and Schistosoma mansoni egg antigens.

The dendritic cell-specific C-type lectin DC-SIGN functions as a pathogen receptor that recognizes Schistosoma mansoni egg antigens through its major glycan epitope Galbeta1,4(Fucalpha1,3)GlcNAc (Lex). Here we report that L-SIGN, a highly related homologue of DC-SIGN found on liver sinusoidal endothelial cells, binds to S. mansoni egg antigens but not to the Lex epitope. L-SIGN does bind the Lewis antigens Lea, Leb, and Ley, similar as DC-SIGN. A specific mutation in the carbohydrate recognition domain of DC-SIGN (V351G) abrogates binding to all Lewis antigens. In L-SIGN Ser363 is present at the corresponding position of Val351 in DC-SIGN. Replacement of this Ser into Val resulted in a "gain of function" L-SIGN mutant that binds to Lex, and shows increased binding to the other Lewis antigens. These data indicate that Val351 is important for the fucose specificity of DC-SIGN. Molecular modeling and docking of the different Lewis antigens in the carbohydrate recognition domains of L-SIGN, DC-SIGN, and their mutant forms, demonstrate that Val351 in DC-SIGN creates a hydrophobic pocket that strongly interacts with the Fucalpha1,3/4-GlcNAc moiety of the Lewis antigens. The equivalent amino acid residue Ser363 in L-SIGN creates a hydrophilic pocket that prevents interaction with Fucalpha1,3-GlcNAc in Lex but supports interactions with the Fucalpha1,4-GlcNAc moiety in Lea and Leb antigens. These data demonstrate for the first time that DC-SIGN and L-SIGN differ in their carbohydrate binding profiles and will contribute to our understanding of the functional roles of these C-type lectin receptors, both in recognition of pathogen and self-glycan antigens.

Vaccination-induced protection of lambs against the parasitic nematode Haemonchus contortus correlates with high IgG antibody responses to the LDNF glycan antigen.

Lambs respond to vaccination against bacteria and viruses but have a poor immunological response to nematodes. Here we report that they are protected against the parasitic nematode Haemonchus contortus after vaccination with excretory/secretory (ES) glycoproteins using Alhydrogel as an adjuvant. Lambs immunized with ES in Alhydrogel and challenged with 300 L3 larvae/kg body weight had a reduction in cumulative egg output of 89% and an increased percentage protection of 54% compared with the adjuvant control group. Compared to the adjuvant dimethyl dioctadecyl ammonium bromide, Alhydrogel induced earlier onset and significantly higher ES- specific IgG, IgA, and IgE antibody responses. In all vaccinated groups a substantial proportion of the antibody response was directed against glycan epitopes, irrespective of the adjuvant used. In lambs vaccinated with ES in Alhydrogel but not in any other group a significant increase was found in antibody levels against the GalNAcbeta1,4 (Fucalpha1,3)GlcNAc (fucosylated LacdiNAc, LDNF) antigen, a carbohydrate antigen that is also involved in the host defense against the human parasite Schistosoma mansoni. In lambs the LDNF-specific response increased from the first immunization onward and was significantly higher in protected lambs. In addition, an isotype switch from LDNF-specific IgM to IgG was induced that correlated with protection. These data demonstrate that hyporesponsiveness of lambs to H. contortus can be overcome by vaccination with ES glycoproteins in a strong T-helper 2 type response-inducing aluminum adjuvant. This combination generated high and specific antiglycan antibody responses that may contribute to the vaccination-induced protection.

The dendritic cell-specific C-type lectin DC-SIGN is a receptor for Schistosoma mansoni egg antigens and recognizes the glycan antigen Lewis x.

Schistosoma mansoni soluble egg antigens (SEAs) are crucially involved in modulating the host immune response to infection by S. mansoni. We report that human dendritic cells bind SEAs through the C-type lectin dendritic cell-specific ICAM-3-grabbing nonintegrin (DC-SIGN). Monoclonal antibodies against the carbohydrate antigens Lewisx (Lex) and GalNAcbeta1-4(Fucalpha1-3)GlcNAc (LDNF) inhibit binding of DC-SIGN to SEAs, suggesting that these glycan antigens may be critically involved in binding. In a solid-phase adhesion assay, DC-SIGN-Fc binds polyvalent neoglycoconjugates that contain the Lex antigen, whereas no binding was observed to Galbeta1-4GlcNAc, and binding to neoglycoconjugates containing only alpha-fucose or oligosaccharides with a terminal alpha1-2-linked fucose is low. These data indicate that binding of DC-SIGN to Lex antigen is fucose-dependent and that adjacent monosaccharides and/or the anomeric linkage of the fucose are important for binding activity. Previous studies have shown that DC-SIGN binds HIV gp120 that contains high-mannose-type N-glycans. Site-directed mutagenesis within the carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD) of DC-SIGN demonstrates that amino acids E324 and E347 are involved in binding to HIV gp120, Lex, and SEAs. By contrast, mutation of amino acid Val351 abrogates binding to SEAs and Lex but not HIV gp120. These data suggest that DC-SIGN recognizes these ligands through different (but overlapping) regions within its CRD. Our data imply that DC-SIGN not only is a pathogen receptor for HIV gp120 but may also function in pathogen recognition by interaction with the carbohydrate antigens Lex and possibly LDNF, which are found on important human pathogens, such as schistosomes and the bacterium Helicobacter pylori.

Schistosoma mansoni-infected mice produce antibodies that cross-react with plant, insect, and mammalian glycoproteins and recognize the truncated biantennaryN-glycan Man3GlcNAc2-R.

To reveal the role of cross-reactive carbohydrate determinants in the host immune response in helminth infections and allergenicity, we developed monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that recognize glycan epitopes present on glycoconjugates from both helminths and plants. An IgM mAb (100-4G11-A) was selected from a panel of anti-glycan mAbs generated from Schistosoma-infected or immunized mice because it recognized both a plant glycoprotein horseradish peroxidase and phospholipase A2 from honeybee venom. On further characterization, it was shown that mAb 100-4G11-A recognizes the truncated biantennary N-glycan Man3GlcNAc2-R. Immunocytochemical analysis and immunoblotting with this mAb demonstrated that Man3GlcNAc2-R structures occur on many glycoproteins of schistosomes and other invertebrates. Remarkably, Man3GlcNAc2-R is also expressed on a restricted number of vertebrate glycoproteins. Our data indicate that this truncated N-glycan is immunogenic in mice during the course of infection. Nevertheless, no elevated antibody levels against this glycan epitope could be detected in sera of individuals infected with Schistosoma mansoni.