The role of homophilic binding in anti-tumor antibody R24 recognition of molecular surfaces. Demonstration of an intermolecular beta-sheet interaction between vh domains.

The murine antibody R24 and mouse-human Fv-IgG1(kappa) chimeric antibody chR24 are specific for the cell-surface tumor antigen disialoganglioside GD3. X-ray diffraction and surface plasmon resonance experiments have been employed to study the mechanism of "homophilic binding," in which molecules of R24 recognize and bind to other molecules of R24 though their heavy chain variable domains. R24 exhibits strong binding to liposomes containing disialoganglioside GD3; however, the kinetics are unusual in that saturation of binding is not observed. The binding of chR24 to GD3-bearing liposomes is significantly weaker, suggesting that cooperative interactions involving antibody constant regions contribute to R24 binding of membrane-bound GD3. The crystal structures of the Fabs from R24 and chR24 reveal the mechanism for homophilic binding and confirm that the homophilic and antigen-binding idiotopes are distinct. The homophilic binding idiotope is formed largely by an anti-parallel beta-sheet dimerization between the H2 complementarity determining region (CDR) loops of two Fabs, while the antigen-binding idiotope is a pocket formed by the three CDR loops on the heavy chain. The formation of homophilic dimers requires the presence of a canonical conformation for the H2 CDR in conjunction with participation of side chains. The relative positions of the homophilic and antigen-binding sites allows for a lattice of GD3-specific antibodies to be constructed, which is stabilized by the presence of the cell membrane. This model provides for the selective recognition by R24 of cells that overexpress GD3 on the cell surface.

Differential in vitro phosphorylation of clathrin light chains by the epidermal growth factor receptor-associated protein tyrosine kinase and a pp60c-src-related spleen tyrosine kinase.

The epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor-associated protein tyrosine kinase activity has been suggested to play important roles in the EGF-enhanced, clathrin-coated pit-mediated receptor internalization (W. S. Chen, C. S. Lazar, M. Peonie, R. Y. Tsien, G. N. Gill, and M. G. Rosenfeld, 1987, Nature 328, 820-823) but the kinase substrate important for this process has not been identified. This study demonstrates that the EGF receptor, partially purified from A431 epidermoid carcinoma cells, catalyzes the phosphorylation of one of the two clathrin light chains, clathrin light chain a (LCa). The phosphorylation activity is stimulated by EGF and immunoprecipitated by an EGF receptor monoclonal antibody. The phosphorylation occurs exclusively on tyrosine residues. Amino acid composition of the major tryptic phosphopeptide of the EGF receptor-phosphorylated LCa corresponds closely to that of residues 1 to 97 of LCa. A stoichiometry of 0.2 mol phosphate/mol LCa was attained after 60 min at 30 degrees C and a Km value of 1.7 microM was determined for the reaction. LCa of either neuronal or non-neuronal origin could serve as a substrate. In addition to the EGF receptor tyrosine kinase, a particulate src-related protein tyrosine kinase purified from bovine spleen (C. M. E. Litwin, H.-C. Cheng, and J. H. Wang, 1991, J. Biol. Chem. 226, 2557-2566) was shown in this study to also phosphorylate the light chains. However, in contrast to the EGF receptor phosphorylation, both clathrin light chains a and b were phosphorylated by the spleen kinase, suggesting that the two tyrosine kinases have differential site specificities. Given the specificity of LCa phosphorylation by the EGF receptor, we propose that LCa phosphorylation on a tyrosine residue(s) may be important in EGF-induced receptor internalization.

In vitro, insulin receptor catalyses phosphorylation of clathrin heavy chain and a plasma membrane 180,000 molecular weight protein.

Insulin receptor mutation studies indicate that the receptor tyrosine kinase activity is necessary for receptor endocytosis, and several insulin receptor-containing tissues have a plasma membrane-associated protein (Mr congruent to 180,000, p180) whose tyrosine phosphorylation is receptor catalysed. Since clathrin heavy chain (Mr congruent to 180,000 in dodecyl sulphate gel electrophoresis) is a major component of coated vesicles, the latter functioning in receptor endocytosis, we investigated whether insulin receptors can catalyse clathrin phosphorylation and whether p180 is clathrin. Bovine brain triskelion or coated vesicles and 32P-ATP were added to prephosphorylated insulin receptor preparations (wheat germ agglutinin-purified human placenta membrane proteins). Antiphosphotyrosine immunoprecipitated a phosphorylated 180,000 molecular weight protein. Insulin (10(-7) M) increased the rate of phosphorylation. Monoclonal anti-clathrin antibody immunoprecipitated the phosphorylated 180,000 molecular weight protein, whereas monoclonal anti-insulin receptor antibodies (alpha-IR1, MA10) immunoprecipitated both insulin receptors and the phosphorylated 180,000 molecular weight protein. In the absence of added clathrin, anticlathrin immunoprecipitated no proteins, and alpha-IR1 immunoprecipitated only the insulin receptor. Density gradient (glycerol 7.5-30%, w/v) centrifugation separated human placenta microsomal membrane proteins into endosomal, plasma membrane, cytoplasmic and coated vesicle fractions. Antiphosphotyrosine immunoprecipitated phosphorylated-microsomal proteins that centrifugated into endosomal and plasma membrane fractions. Addition of glycerol gradient fractions to a prephosphorylated insulin receptor preparation, however, gave a tyrosine-phosphorylated 180,000 molecular weight protein when cytoplasmic and coated vesicle fractions were added. Taken together these results suggest: (1) that, in vitro, human placenta insulin receptors can phosphorylate bovine brain and human placenta clathrin heavy chain; (2) that both assembled and unassembled clathrin can be phosphorylated; and (3) that p180, the plasma membrane-associated insulin receptor substrate, is not clathrin heavy chain.

Integration of signal-transduction processes.

The adenylate cyclase - cAMP, phospholipase C - IP3 (inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate), and DAG (diacylglycerol) signal transduction systems are used to illustrate general principles underlying the process of information transfer during cell stimulation. Both systems consist of reaction cascades that convert the external signal to an intracellular messenger, translate the messenger to regulatory activities, and then modulate the activities of appropriate cellular proteins to result in specific cell responses. Almost all of these reactions are under second-messenger-dependent regulation, with many being regulated by multiple messengers. Such complex regulation provides ample opportunities for the fine-tuning of the signal cascades and for coordination between cascades during cell stimulation. Specific examples are used to illustrate how the cell uses different intrasystem and intersystem regulatory reactions to achieve specific responses.

Clathrin light chains are calcium-binding proteins.

Clathrin light chains have been purified to near homogeneity. When analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis followed by silver stain for proteins, no bands corresponding to light chains were detected. As calmodulin and troponin C are known to behave in the same manner on silver staining, the possibility that clathrin light chains were Ca2+-binding proteins was investigated. Light chains fixed to nitrocellulose filters were found to bind 45Ca2+ in the presence of 5 mM Mg2+. The Ca2+-binding capacity of the light chains was further investigated, using gel filtration and equilibrium dialysis. The light chains were shown to bind, in the presence of 3 mM Mg2+, 1 mol of Ca2+ per mol of light chain with a Kd of 25-55 microM. Nitrocellulose binding and gel filtration studies showed that light chains present in triskelions are still capable of binding Ca2+, in this case with a calculated Kd of 45 microM.

Catabolism of exogenous and endogenous sphingomyelin and phosphatidylcholine by homogenates and subcellular fractions of cultured neuroblastoma cells. Effects of anesthetics.

Cultured murine neuroblastoma cells contain a neutral, Mg2+-stimulated sphingomyelinase and an alkaline phosphatidylcholine-hydrolyzing activity that are enriched in the plasma membrane fraction. The reaction products of sphingomyelin catabolism are phosphocholine and ceramide and those of phosphatidylcholine, glycerophosphocholine and fatty acid. These reactions were studied with endogenous as well as exogenous liposomal substrates. With both exogenous and endogenous substrates, the sphingomyelinase activity was stimulated two- to threefold by Mg2+ and a further three- to fourfold by volatile anesthetic agents. Stimulation was concentration-dependent and corresponded to anesthetic potency: methoxyflurane greater than halothane greater than enflurane. Greater than 80% of the plasma membrane sphingomyelin was hydrolyzed within 2 h in the presence of Mg2+ and anesthetic. In contrast, the activity with exogenous and endogenous phosphatidylcholine was unaffected by Mg2+ or Ca2+ and was markedly inhibited (50-80%) by anesthetic agents. The degree of inhibition was concentration-dependent and corresponded to anesthetic potency. The quantitative importance of choline-containing lipids in cell membranes, the relatively exclusive localization of the neutral Mg2+-stimulated sphingomyelinase in cells of neural origin, the totally different type of hydrolytic attack on phosphatidylcholine, and the reciprocal effects of anesthetics on the hydrolysis of these two lipids strongly suggest important roles for these activities in cell membranes in general and in the neuron in particular.