A novel activating anti-beta1 integrin monoclonal antibody binds to the cysteine-rich repeats in the beta1 chain.

The functional status of an integrin depends on the conformation of its extracellular domain, which is controlled by the cell expressing that receptor. The transmission of regulatory signals from within the cell is considered to be via propagated conformational changes from the receptor's cytoplasmic tails to the extracellular ligand binding "pocket." The end result is increased accessibility of the ligand binding pocket in the high affinity ("active") form of integrins. We report a novel monoclonal antibody (QE.2E5) that binds within the cysteine-rich repeats in the integrin beta1 chain and induces high affinity binding of fibronectin to the integrin alpha5beta1. The QE.2E5 epitope is located approximately 200 residues both from the predicted binding site for fibronectin and from the epitopes recognized by other activating anti-beta1 monoclonal antibodies. It is also expressed on beta1 integrins from a number of nonhuman species. Although they have the same functional effects, the binding of QE.2E5 and another activating antibody (8A2) to the receptor have contrasting effects on the expression of an activation-dependent epitope in the beta1 chain. We propose that the cysteine-rich repeats contain a regulatory region that is distinct from those previously described in the integrin beta1 chain.

Activated conformations of very late activation integrins detected by a group of antibodies (HUTS) specific for a novel regulatory region (355-425) of the common beta 1 chain.

The very late activation antigens (VLA) or beta 1 integrins mediate cell attachment to different extracellular matrix proteins and intercellular adhesions. The ligand binding activity of these adhesion receptors is not constitutive and can be regulated by temperature, presence of extracellular divalent cations, stimulatory monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), and cellular activation. We have generated three novel mAbs, HUTS-4, HUTS-7, and HUTS-21, recognizing specific epitopes on the common beta 1 subunit (CD29) of VLA integrins whose expression correlates with the ligand binding activity of these heterodimeric glycoproteins. This correlation has been demonstrated for several integrin heterodimers in different cell systems using a variety of extracellular and intracellular stimuli for integrin activation. Thus, the presence of micromolar concentrations of extracellular Mn2+, preincubation with the activating anti-beta 1 mAb TS2/16, and cell treatment with phorbol esters or calcium ionophores, induced the expression of the HUTS beta 1 epitopes on T lymphoblasts. Using a panel of human-mouse beta 1 chimeric molecules, we have mapped these epitopes to the 355-425 sequence of the beta 1 polypeptide. This segment represents therefore a novel regulatory region of beta 1 that is exposed upon integrin activation. Interestingly, binding of HUTS mAbs to partially activated VLA integrins results in maximal activation of these adhesion receptors and enhancement of cell adhesion to beta 1 integrin ligands collagen, laminin, and fibronectin.

Identification of putative ligand-binding sites of the integrin alpha 4 beta 1 (VLA-4, CD49d/CD29)

Integrin alpha 4 beta 1 recognizes both fibronectin (CS-1 sequence) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1). To localize the ligand-binding sites of alpha 4, we located the epitopes for function-blocking anti-alpha 4 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), including those that recognize previously described (but not yet physically localized) functional epitopes (A, B1, B2 and C) using interspecies alpha 4 chimeras expressed in mammalian cells. Epitopes B1 and B2 were associated with ligand binding, and epitopes A and B2 with homotypic cellular aggregation. mAbs P4C2 (epitope B2), 20E4 and PS/2 were mapped within residues 108-182; mAbs HP2/1 (epitope B1), SG/73 and R1-2 within residues 195-268; mAbs HP1/3 (epitope A) and P4G9 within residues 1-52; and B5G10 (epitope C) within residues 269-548. The data suggest that residues 108-268, which do not include bivalent-cation-binding motifs, are related to VCAM-1 and CS-1 binding, and more N-terminal portions of alpha 4 (residues 1 and 52 and 108-182) to homotypic aggregation. Since mAbs PS/2 and HP2/1 block alpha 4 beta 7 binding to mucosal addressin cell adhesion molecule-1 (MAdCAM-1), the MAdCAM-1-binding site is close to, or overlapping with, VCAM-1- and CS-1-binding sites. The role of Asp-130 of beta 1 in the binding to VCAM-1 and CS-1 peptide was examined. Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells expressing beta 1 (D130A) (Asp-130 to Ala mutant of beta 1) and alpha 4 showed much less binding to both ligands than CHO cells expressing wild-type beta 1 and alpha 4 [a dominant negative effects of beta 1 (D130A)], suggesting that Asp-130 of beta 1 is critical for binding to both ligands and that the two ligand share common binding mechanisms [corrected].

Identification of putative ligand binding sites within I domain of integrin alpha 2 beta 1 (VLA-2, CD49b/CD29)

Integrin alpha 2 beta 1 is a cell surface adhesion receptor for collagen and echovirus 1. Here we localized the epitopes for anti-alpha 2 monoclonal antibodies using interspecies (human/bovine) alpha 2 chimeras with different lengths of human alpha 2 sequence on the amino-terminal side and site-directed mutagenesis. The antibodies that block the collagen and/or echovirus 1 binding to human alpha 2 beta 1 (6F1, RMAC11, 12F1, and AA10) recognizes a small region (residues 173-259) within the I domain. Asp-160 and Arg-242 are critical for binding of the two other function-inhibiting antibodies, P1H5 and 5E8, respectively. Notably, mutations of Asp-151 and Asp-254 block the binding of alpha 2 beta 1 to collagen. These data suggest that the I domain (residues 140-359) is critically involved in the ligand/receptor interactions, and collagen and echovirus 1 binding sites are adjacent or overlapping within the I domain. The sequence of the residues 173-259 of alpha 2 overlap with the peptide sequences (M11 and M20) that derive from von Willebrand factor A1 and A3 domains (homologous to the alpha 2 I domain) and block von Willebrand factor/collagen interaction, suggesting that the epitope region of alpha 2 (residues 173-259) may really be involved in ligand recognition.

Identification of a regulatory region of integrin beta 1 subunit using activating and inhibiting antibodies.

Members of the beta 1 integrin subfamily recognize multiple ligands such as fibronectin, laminin, and collagen and mediate cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions. beta 1 subunit may play a central role in regulating beta 1 integrin avidity. Here we have identified a small region of beta 1 subunit (residues 207-218) that is critical for the binding of both activating (8A2, A1A5, and TS2/16) and inhibiting (4B4, 4B5, 13, AIIB2, and P4C10) monoclonal antibodies against human beta 1 using interspecies chimeric beta 1 and site-directed mutagenesis. Chicken beta 1 that has human sequence within residues 207-218 (CH mutant) is recognized by all the human specific antibodies listed above. The region 207-218 is located between the two putative ligand binding sites (residues 120-182 and 220-231), and the amino acid sequence of the region involves a predicted bend structure. The other anti-beta 1 antibodies that do not affect cell attachment to ligands (K20, 102DF5, LM442, and LM534) recognized the carboxyl-terminal regions of extracellular domain of beta 1 (residues 426-587 for K20 and 588-708 for 102DF5, LM442, and LM534, respectively). Our data suggest a potential mechanism for the avidity regulation of beta 1 integrin through conformational changes of beta 1 subunit.

A point mutation of integrin beta 1 subunit blocks binding of alpha 5 beta 1 to fibronectin and invasin but not recruitment to adhesion plaques.

A point mutation in a highly conserved region of the beta 1 subunit, Asp130 to Ala (D130A) substitution, abrogates the Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD)-dependent binding of alpha 5 beta 1 to fibronectin (FN) without disrupting gross structure or heterodimer assembly. The D130A mutation also interferes with binding to invasin, a ligand that lacks RGD sequence. In spite of the lack of detectable FN binding by alpha 5 beta 1(D130A), it was recruited to adhesion plaques formed on FN by endogenous hamster receptors. Thus, intact ligand binding function is not required for recruitment of alpha 5 beta 1 to adhesion plaques. Overexpression of beta 1(D130A) partially interfered with endogenous alpha 5 beta 1 function, thus defining a dominant negative beta 1 integrin mutation.