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J. Biol. Chem., Vol. 277, Issue 44, 41613-41623, November 1, 2002
From the
Received for publication, July 15, 2002, and in revised form, August 23, 2002
The in vitro binding of the
macrophage mannose receptor to a range of different bacterial
polysaccharides was investigated. The receptor was shown to bind to
purified capsular polysaccharides from Streptococcus
pneumoniae and to the lipopolysaccharides, but not capsular
polysaccharides, from Klebsiella pneumoniae. Binding was
Ca2+-dependent and inhibitable with
D-mannose. A fusion protein of the mannose receptor
containing carbohydrate recognition domains 4-7 and a full-length
soluble form of the mannose receptor containing all domains external to
the transmembrane region both displayed very similar binding
specificities toward bacterial polysaccharides, suggesting that domains
4-7 are sufficient for recognition of these structures. Surprisingly,
no direct correlation could be made between polysaccharide structure
and binding to the mannose receptor, suggesting that polysaccharide
conformation may play an important role in recognition. The full-length
soluble form of the mannose receptor was able to bind simultaneously
both polysaccharide via the carbohydrate recognition domains and
sulfated oligosaccharide via the cysteine-rich domain. The possible
involvement of the mannose receptor, either cell surface or soluble, in
the innate and adaptive immune responses to bacterial polysaccharides
is discussed.
The macrophage mannose receptor
(MR)1 is considered an
important molecule of innate immunity mediating the nonopsonic
phagocytic uptake by macrophages (MØs) of a wide variety of microbes
including yeast, fungi, protozoa, and bacteria (1). It is a type I
integral membrane glycoprotein expressed on most tissue MØs, certain
endothelial cells, and in vitro derived dendritic cells
(DCs) (2-4). In addition to phagocytosis, the MR mediates the
endocytosis of soluble glycoconjugates leading to enhanced uptake of
ligands in both MØs and DCs (5).
The MR belongs to the Ca2+-dependent lectin
family that bind sugars through their carbohydrate recognition domains
(CRDs) (6). The MR itself has eight CRDs located on a single
polypeptide chain. CRDs 4 and 5 of the MR are central to sugar binding,
and at least one further CRD proximal to the membrane is necessary for
the binding and uptake of multivalent ligands (7, 8).
The MR displays a mannose-type binding specificity recognizing
monosaccharides in the following order of affinity:
D-Man = L-Fuc > D-Glc = D-GlcNAc In this study, we investigate the binding of the MR to the capsular
polysaccharides (CPSs) from different capsular serotype strains of
Streptococcus pneumoniae and to the CPSs and
lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) from different capsular and O-serotype
strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae. Both bacterial species are
major opportunistic pathogens, and in both cases antibodies directed
against their CPSs confer protection. Vaccines currently in use against
S. pneumoniae are either composed of CPS alone or are
glycoconjugates based on the conjugation of CPS or oligosaccharides
derived from CPS to a protein carrier.
In addition to binding through CRDs, the MR also has a second distinct
lectin activity located in the N-terminal cysteine-rich (CR) domain of
the molecule, this time with specificity for host sulfated
oligosaccharides (9, 10). Sulfated ligands for the CR domain are
present in secondary lymphoid tissues, where they are expressed on
metallophilic marginal zone MØs in the spleen, on subcapsular sinus
MØs in lymph nodes, and also on a subpopulation of DCs (11, 12).
A soluble form of the MR (sMR), released by constitutive proteolytic
cleavage of the membrane-bound form by an endogenous cell
metalloprotease, is also present in serum (13).
The CPSs of S. pneumoniae and K. pneumoniae are
high molecular weight polysaccharides, typically 106
daltons and greater, and are composed of linear or branched repeating units containing from two to seven monosaccharides. S. pneumoniae CPSs variously contain D-GlcA and
D-GalA acid residues and may be substituted with
O-acetyl, pyruvate acetal, and glycerol phosphate groups
(14). Several resemble teichoic acids in containing ribitol phosphate-linked repeat units. They frequently contain aminosugars, which include different aminohexoses and also
N-acetyl-D-mannuronic acid. D-Gal,
D-Glc, and L-Rha are common components, whereas
D-Man is not found in any of these structures. All CPS
preparations from S. pneumoniae contain 1-10%, by weight,
common cell wall polysaccharide (CW-PS), which is the teichoic acid of
this organism.
CPSs from K. pneumoniae commonly contain D-Glc,
D-Man, D-Gal, and L-Rha.
L-Fuc is found in only a very few serotype strains (15).
They all contain one hexuronic acid residue in each repeat unit, which
is nearly always D-GlcA acid, and are frequently
substituted with pyruvate acetal or O-acetyl groups. Unlike
CPSs from S. pneumoniae, phosphate groups, and aminosugars
are absent from these polysaccharides. The uptake of K. pneumoniae by alveolar MØs mediated by recognition of CPS via the
MR has been reported (16).
The structures of all of the CPSs used in the present study are shown
in Tables I and
II (14, 17-22).
In contrast to the CPS of K. pneumoniae, the LPS O-antigens
of this species display very limited structural variation with only
nine recognized O-serotypes. Three main serotypes consist of linear
polymers of In this study, we investigate the interactions between bacterial
polysaccharides and the MR in vitro using purified CPS and LPS and the following proteins: (a) CRDs 4-7 of the MR
fused to human IgG1 Fc (CRD(4-7)Fc),
(b) the CR domain of the MR fused to human IgG1
Fc (CR-Fc), and (c) the full-length sMR.
Preparation of Monoclonal Antibodies against the Mouse Mannose Receptor Monoclonal antibody MR5D3 was generated by subcutaneous immunization of Fischer rats with 100 µg of CRD(4-7)Fc in complete Freund's adjuvant containing 10 mM Ca2+, followed after 14 days by a similar booster with incomplete Freund's adjuvant. A final boost of 50 µg of CRD(4-7)Fc in PBS with 10 mM Ca2+ was given intraperitoneally 4 days prior to fusion. The splenic B cells were fused with the Y3 myeloma cell line as described in Ref. 23. Hybridoma supernatants were screened for the presence of anti-MR antibodies in ELISA using CRD(4-7)Fc-coated plates. Of several monoclonal cell lines that were obtained, MR5D3 was chosen for further application due to its performance in immunohistochemistry, fluorescence-activated cell sorting, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), and immunoprecipitation.2 MR5D3 was shown to be noninhibitory for the binding of the MR to carbohydrate ligands (data not shown). Proteins The fusion proteins, CR-Fc and CRD(4-7)Fc, were obtained as previously described (11, 24). The sMR was purified from culture supernatants of NIH 3T3-derived MR transfectants2 by affinity chromatography using MR5D3 as follows. Transfected cells were grown in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium containing 10% (v/v) FCS, penicillin, streptomycin, and glutamine under the selection of G418 (400 µg/ml). Once cells were confluent, this medium was replaced with the same medium containing 3% (v/v) FCS. After 13 days, the supernatants were harvested, centrifuged twice at 3,000 rpm for 15 min, filtered, and precleared using Gammabind PLUS Sepharose (Amersham Biosciences). The sMR was purified from the medium on a MR5D3 affinity column, prepared by cross-linking of MR5D3 to Gammabind PLUS Sepharose with dimethyl pimelimidate (Sigma). After extensive washing in 0.01 M phosphate buffer, pH 7.4, 0.154 M NaCl (PBS), bound proteins were eluted with 0.5% (v/v) diethylamine and neutralized using 1 M Tris-HCl, pH 7.0. Fractions containing sMR were detected by dot blot analysis using MR5D3
(5 µg/ml) and anti-rat IgG horseradish peroxidase conjugate
(Chemicon). Positive fractions were pooled, dialyzed against 10 mM Tris-HCl, pH 8.0, containing 10 mM
Ca2+ and 0.154 M NaCl, aliquoted, and frozen at
Bacteria K. pneumoniae capsular serotype strains, K11, K17, K22, K27, K31, K46, and K60 were obtained from Dr. Harry Deneer (University of Saskatchewan, Canada), and strains K1, K3, K26, K36, K40, and K52 were from the Statens Serum Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark. Antisera Rabbit polyclonal antisera specific for the different CPS serotypes of K. pneumoniae and S. pneumoniae and for the S. pneumoniae CW-PS were obtained from the Statens Serum Institute. Authentic Polysaccharide Ligands Soluble multivalent monosaccharide or short oligosaccharide ligands attached to a soluble polyacrylamide support (sugar-PAAs) were obtained from Syntesome (Munich, Germany). Yeast mannan from Saccharomyces cerevisiae was purchased from Sigma. Analytical Methods CPS from K. pneumoniae was quantified by measuring the total uronic acid content (one D-GlcA present/polysaccharide repeating unit) (25). Protein content was measured by the Micro BCATM assay (Pierce), and nucleic acid was measured by UV absorbance. Total carbohydrate was measured by the phenol-sulfuric acid reaction (26). LPS content was measured by a kinetic turbidometric Limulus amoebocyte lysate assay, using reagents from Charles River Endosafe and Escherichia coli 055 LPS as standard according to the manufacturer's instructions. SDS-PAGE SDS-PAGE was carried out according to Ref. 27. LPS was resolved on 15% (w/v) gels and visualized by silver staining according to Ref. 28. CPS was resolved on 10% (w/v) gels and visualized by combined Alcian blue and silver staining (29). Bacterial Capsular Polysaccharides Purified CPSs from S. pneumoniae were obtained from Dr. Chris Jones (National Institute for Biological Standards and Controls, Hertfordshire, UK). These polysaccharides contain less than 1% by weight protein and nucleic acid contaminants. S. pneumoniae CW-PS was obtained from the Statens Serum Institute. K. pneumoniae CPSs were isolated and purified as follows. Bacteria were grown overnight at 37 °C on lactose agar plates to maximize CPS production. The bacterial growth from 20-30 plates was suspended in 25-50 ml of distilled water and heated for 10 min at 100 °C to release capsular material. The CPS was precipitated with 80% (v/v) acetone at 4 °C and recovered by spooling around a glass Pasteur pipette. The precipitate was dried overnight at room temperature and resuspended in PBS, and insoluble material was removed by centrifugation twice at 30,000 × g for 30 min at 4 °C. The supernatant containing CPS was then centrifuged for a further 8 h at 100,000 × g and 4 °C, and the pellet containing LPS and protein was discarded. CPS was dialyzed against distilled water and freeze-dried. In some cases, the CPS was also digested with ribonuclease type II-B (30 µg/ml) and deoxyribonuclease EC 3.1.2.1 (70 µg/ml) for 24 h, followed by the addition of subtilisin (70 µg/ml) and incubation for a further 24 h. Incubations were carried out in 0.01 M Tris-HCl, pH 7.4, containing 4 mM Mg2+ and 0.05% (w/v) thiomersal at an approximate concentration of 500 µg/ml CPS at 37 °C with shaking. Following digestion, samples were dialyzed extensively against distilled water, 25-kDa cut-off membrane, and freeze-dried. A final purification step was carried out by gel filtration chromatography under dissociating conditions on a TSK G5000 PW xl column (300 × 7.5 mm). The buffer used was PBS containing 0.25% (w/v) sodium deoxycholate. Chromatography was carried out at 60 °C at a flow rate of 0.25 ml/min. Absorbance at 205 and 280 nm and refractive index of the eluant were monitored. Fractions were collected at 2-min intervals. Fractions containing carbohydrate were pooled, dialyzed against water, concentrated by freeze drying, and resuspended in ~5 ml of water. Residual detergent was removed by precipitation of CPS twice from 80% (v/v) ethanol at 4 °C. Lipopolysaccharides LPSs from Haemophilus influenzae type b strain Eagen, Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PAC1, and K. pneumoniae were obtained by extraction with hot aqueous 45% (w/v) phenol (30). LPSs were dialyzed extensively against distilled water followed by centrifugation at 100,000 × g for 18 h at 4 °C. The LPS pellet was resuspended in water and quantified by gravimetric measurement. Salmonella typhimurium rough LPS types, Rb2, Rb3, Rc, Rd1, Rd2, and Re were purchased from Accurate Chemical and Scientific Corp. (New York, NY). LPSs from Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B, immunotype L3 and mutant 4 type, were gifts from Dr. S. R. Andersen. The structures of the LPSs from H. influenzae, S. typhimurium, and N. meningitidis are shown in Table IV. The structure of P. aeruginosa PAC1 LPS is not known.
Mannose Receptor Binding Assays The binding of the mannose receptor to different polysaccharides was determined by ELISA, either directly by measuring binding to plates coated with different ligands or indirectly by inhibition assays as follows. Direct Binding-- All washings and incubations were carried out in 10 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.5, 10 mM Ca2+, 0.154 M NaCl, and 0.05% (w/v) Tween 20. Polysaccharides were coated onto the wells of ELISA plates (Nunc; Maxisorb) by incubation in 0.154 M NaCl overnight at 37 °C (50 µl/well). Plates were sealed with parafilm and incubated in a sealed damp box. Bacterial CPSs and LPSs were coated at 50 µg/ml, authentic sugar polyacrylamide substrates at 5 µg/ml, and yeast mannan at 10 µg/ml. After coating, plates were washed five times. The coating efficiency of the different CPSs was confirmed by titration with anti-CPS-specific antisera. CRD(4-7)Fc, CR-Fc, and sMR were incubated in the wells of coated plates at 2 µg/ml (50 µl/well) for 2 h at room temperature. Plates were washed five times. The MR fusion proteins were detected by incubation with anti-human IgG Fc-specific, alkaline phosphatase conjugate, species-absorbed (Jackson Laboratories). Bound sMR was detected by incubation with MR5D3 at 10 µg/ml for 2 h at room temperature followed by detection with anti-rat IgG Fc-specific, alkaline phosphatase conjugate, species-absorbed (Jackson). Plates were washed five times and developed with p-nitrophenyl phosphate substrate (Sigma). Absorbance was measured at 405 nm after 30 min. Readings were measured against a blank of uncoated wells incubated with MR protein. Background readings were no more than 0.05 absorbance units higher than the reagent blank. All assays were carried out in duplicate or triplicate. Yeast mannan-coated wells were used as a positive control in assays measuring CRD(4-7)Fc and sMR binding. Inhibition Assays-- The inhibition of binding of CRD(4-7)Fc and sMR to ELISA plates coated with different ligands was measured. Inhibition was carried out in a high salt buffer consisting of 10 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.5, containing 10 mM Ca2+, 1 M NaCl, and 0.05% (w/v) Tween 20. All incubations were at room temperature.
Either CRD(4-7)Fc or sMR were preincubated at 2 µg/ml
with different concentrations of inhibitor, either monosaccharides or
polysaccharides, for 30 min followed by incubation for 2 h in the
wells of coated ELISA plates. The plates were washed five times, and
the detection of bound CRD(4-7)Fc and sMR was carried out
as described above.
Purification of the sMR--
The sMR obtained by affinity
chromatography was quantified by the BCA assay and analyzed by SDS-PAGE
and gel filtration chromatography. The sMR migrated as a single band on
SDS-PAGE (Fig. 1a) with an apparent molecular mass of ~180 kDa. The protein similarly eluted as
one main peak on gel filtration chromatography (Fig 1b,
peak 2), with an apparent molecular mass
just greater than the 158-kDa protein standard consistent with the
presence of monomers of the full-length soluble form of the molecule.
The presence of a minor higher molecular weight component
(peak 1) may represent a very small amount of sMR
dimer or aggregate.
Purification of CPS from K. pneumoniae--
CPS extracts prior to
gel filtration contained on average by weight 10% protein, 5% LPS,
and 1% or less nucleic acid. Extensive enzymic digestions with
nucleases and protease followed by dialysis reduced the levels of
protein and nucleic acid by ~50%, suggesting a strong association of
CPS with protein or peptide fragments. In order to further remove
protein and also LPS, further purification was carried out by a gel
filtration step under dissociating conditions. All CPSs gave very
similar profiles (Fig. 2a).
One main carbohydrate peak (peak a) eluted close
to the void volume of the column, molecular mass 2,000 kDa and greater,
and a second minor peak of carbohydrate (peak b)
eluted, together with the majority of the protein, close to the total
volume of the column.
Recovery of total carbohydrate was 80% and greater as measured by the phenol-sulfuric acid reaction. Carbohydrate was recovered from both pools as described under "Experimental Procedures," and aliquots were analyzed by SDS-PAGE (Fig. 2, b and c). Carbohydrate in pool 1 migrated as a broad high molecular weight band that could be visualized only by using Alcian blue prior to silver staining, confirming the presence and identity of CPS. The carbohydrate in pool 2 gave the characteristic banding pattern of LPS, which was readily visualized by silver staining alone. The CPS recovered in pool 1 was quantified by measuring the total uronic acid content. Protein content was no more than 1%, and LPS content, estimated by the Limulus amoebocyte lysate assay, was no more than 0.1% by weight. No nucleic acid was detectable. It was also confirmed that there was no reduction in the reaction of CPS with anti-CPS-specific antisera following gel filtration, confirming that no degradation of CPS had taken place during purification. Specificity of Binding of CRD(4-7)Fc, CR-Fc, and sMR for Authentic Standards-- The binding properties and specificities of the proteins, CRD(4-7)Fc, CR-Fc, and sMR, toward authentic ligands were analyzed prior to investigating binding to bacterial polysaccharides.
In direct binding assays, both CRD(4-7)Fc and sMR
displayed high affinity for terminal D-Man and
L-Fuc residues but no binding to D-Gal (Table
V). CR-Fc and sMR further recognized the
sulfated ligands SO4-3-
The measurements obtained in direct binding assays were directly
proportional to the concentration of protein used in the assay (Fig.
3), and all subsequent assays were
standardized using 2 µg/ml protein.
The specificity and affinity of binding were further investigated by
monosaccharide inhibition assays (Fig.
4). The sMR and CRD(4-7)Fc
both showed the highest affinity toward D-Man and
L-Fuc with lower affinity for D-Glc,
D-GlcNAc, and L-Rha. The Ki
values were all in the millimolar range, consistent with the known low
affinity of binding of the MR to monovalent ligands. As in earlier
studies (7, 8), the inhibition assays reported here were carried out in
buffer containing 1 M NaCl, but very little difference was
found when assays were performed using physiological saline during the
present study (data not shown).
In conclusion, CRD(4-7)Fc and sMR both showed similar specificities toward different monosaccharides, which are consistent with the known sugar binding properties of the MR (7). In addition, it was shown that the MR recognizes the nonhost but common bacterial monosaccharide, L-Rha, with similar affinity to that shown for D-Glc and D-GlcNAc. Binding to L-Rha most probably occurs through C3 and C4 equatorial hydroxyl groups. Direct Binding of the MR to CPSs from S. pneumoniae--
The
direct binding of CRD(4-7)Fc and sMR to pneumococcal CPSs
is shown in Fig. 5. The MR, both
CRD(4-7)Fc and sMR, recognized all except three of the CPS
structures, serotypes 1, 4, and 18C, where binding was not detectable.
The CW-PS, a minor component of most or all of the CPS samples, also
did not act as a ligand for the MR and therefore is unlikely to
contribute to the observed binding toward CPS.
The relative binding of CRD(4-7)Fc and sMR to the different CPSs was very similar, although overall, a higher percentage binding relative to yeast mannan was obtained with the fusion protein. The affinity of binding to the different CPSs also appeared to be very similar. However, three of the CPS types (2, 14, and 19F) consistently gave higher readings in direct binding. No binding was detected when Ca2+ was omitted from the buffer and CR-Fc did not recognize any CPS structure.
To further investigate the specificity of the interaction
with the MR, inhibition assays were carried out using different concentrations of D-Man and D-Glc (Fig.
6). In all cases, binding of
CRD(4-7)Fc to CPS could be completely inhibited by
incubation with 5 mM D-Man. A concentration of
0.5 mM D-Man resulted in ~50% inhibition.
Incubation with 5 mM D-Glc resulted in
inhibition from 30 to 55% and from 50 to 80% inhibition at 10 mM.
As expected, higher concentrations of both sugars were required to inhibit binding of the MR to yeast mannan. Inhibition was approximately half that obtained for binding to CPS-coated plates at the same sugar concentrations. A concentration of 10 mM D-Man was required to obtain complete inhibition of binding to yeast mannan. D-Gal tested at a 10 mM concentration had no effect on binding. Inhibition of Binding by S. pneumoniae CPSs in Solution-- To determine whether S. pneumoniae CPSs could act as ligands for the MR when in solution, as well as when surface-bound, CPSs were tested for their ability to inhibit the binding of the MR to coated ELISA plates. In all cases where direct binding to CPS was observed, the same CPSs inhibited binding in solution. Each CPS was tested at 50 µg/ml for its ability to inhibit binding of CRD(4-7)Fc (2 µg/ml) to ELISA plates coated with the homologous CPS. In each case, binding was inhibited between 70 and 90%. To test whether the CPS could also inhibit binding to heterologous CPS structures, type 14 CPS (50 µg/ml) was incubated with CRD(4-7)Fc (2 µg/ml) and binding to different CPSs measured. Again inhibition was from 60 to 90%, with inhibition of binding to yeast mannan lower at 40%.
The capacity of CPS to inhibit was further investigated by measuring
the inhibition of binding of CRD(4-7)Fc to
Of the three CPS serotypes (1, 4, and 18C) that were not recognized by the MR in direct binding assays, two (1 and 4) also failed to inhibit in solution, whereas 18C showed low inhibition at the higher concentrations. The CW-PS, which was not recognized in direct binding assays, also did not inhibit.
In contrast to CPS, incubation of CRD(4-7)Fc with yeast
mannan resulted in 50% inhibition of binding to
Binding to K. pneumoniae CPSs-- When tested in direct binding assays, crude extracts of K. pneumoniae CPS prior to the gel filtration purification step all showed very low levels of binding to both CRD(4-7)Fc and sMR. This binding was much lower, ~10% that obtained with pneumococcal CPSs, and was inhibitable with D-Man (data not shown). These extracts, however, contained up to 5% by weight LPS, which is also a potential ligand for the MR. After further purification, all except three of the 15 CPSs tested showed no binding to either CRD(4-7)Fc or sMR. All binding activity was instead contained in the fractions from gel filtration containing protein and LPS. The three CPSs that still showed some binding to the MR were K3, K46, and K64. Binding was still weak compared with the pneumococcal CPSs, however, at ~10% relative to yeast mannan. Binding was again inhibitable with D-Man and Ca2+-dependent. None of the CPSs were bound by CR-Fc. Recognition of LPS by the MR-- LPS is the second main potential ligand for the MR on the surface of Gram-negative bacteria in addition to CPS. To test whether LPS could act as a ligand for the MR, LPSs were extracted from representative O-serotype strains of K. pneumoniae. The results for direct binding to K. pneumoniae LPSs as well as to LPSs from a number of other bacteria are shown in Table VI. The structures of the LPS O-antigens from K. pneumoniae and the LPSs from other bacterial species tested are shown in Tables III and IV.
As expected, the polymannose O-serotype LPS was an excellent ligand. More unexpectedly, however, both the rough K. pneumoniae LPS and polygalactose O-serotypes of LPS were good ligands, with binding being almost equivalent to that observed with yeast mannan for the rough LPS and O2 serotype. LPSs from other bacterial species (Pseudomonas, Haemophilus, and Neisseria) did not bind. Also, the LPS from K. pneumoniae strain K36 with a ribose/Gal O-antigen failed to bind. A series of rough mutant LPSs from Salmonella all showed a very low level of binding to the MR. As with CPS, the binding specificities of CRD(4-7)Fc and sMR were similar, and binding could be inhibited by incubation with 10 mM D-Man and D-Glc but not D-Gal.
The percentages of inhibition of binding of CRD(4-7)Fc to
K. pneumoniae LPS by different concentrations of
D-Man and D-Glc are shown in Fig.
8. Except for serotype O1, higher
concentrations of monosaccharide were required for inhibition than seen
with S. pneumoniae CPS, consistent with a higher affinity
for LPS recognition. In particular, the O2 serotype showed inhibition
values similar to yeast mannan.
When tested in solution, incubation of K. pneumoniae LPSs at
~50 µg/ml with CRD(4-7)Fc at 2 µg/ml resulted in
100% inhibition of binding of CRD(4-7)Fc to
Again, as with CPS, CR-Fc did not bind to any of the LPSs tested, and no binding occurred in the absence of Ca2+. Dual Lectin Activity of the MR--
To test whether the sMR could
bind both to polysaccharide through its CRD domains and to ligand for
the CR domain simultaneously, sMR was preincubated with either yeast
mannan, pneumococcal CPS or LPS, and then incubated in ELISA plate
wells coated with SO4-3-
In no instance, did binding of the sMR to polysaccharide prevent
subsequent recognition via the CR domain (Fig.
9). In contrast, incubation of the sMR
with polysaccharides known to be ligands for the CRD domains increased
the amount of sMR detected bound to
SO4-3-
In this paper, we report the binding of the MR to CPSs from S. pneumoniae and to the LPS but not to the CPS from K. pneumoniae. The finding that the MR was able to recognize pneumococcal CPS was surprising, since these polysaccharides have none of the structural features associated with known MR specificities. Polysaccharides binding the MR may be expected to display, for example, multiple terminal D-Man residues or possibly terminal residues with lower affinity such as D-Glc or D-GlcNAc or, in the case of bacterial polysaccharides, L-Rha. Other potential recognition sites lie within the polysaccharide chain where the appropriate hydroxyl groups of the monosaccharides are not substituted. To date, however, there is no information as to whether the MR can recognize nonterminal residues. CPSs from certain capsular serotype strains of K. pneumoniae are potential ligands for the MR according to these criteria, but none were able to bind the MR in in vitro assays other than possibly in three cases with very low affinity. The specificity of the binding to CPS and LPS was demonstrated by complete inhibition with D-Man, partial inhibition with D-Glc, no inhibition with D-Gal, and Ca2+-dependence. Since CRD 4 is the only CRD known to bind D-Man by itself (36), this strongly suggests that CRD 4 is also involved in binding to bacterial polysaccharides. The fusion protein containing CRDs 4-7 behaved in a very similar manner to the full-length sMR, indicating that CRDs 1-3 and CRD 8 are not involved directly in CPS binding. At least three CRDs (4, 5, and 7) are known to be required for high affinity and binding to multivalent ligands (7). Each CRD shows weak affinity for a single monosaccharide, with high affinity being achieved through multiple weak interactions. In this study, the monomeric form of the sMR was shown to be able to bind both ligands for the CRDs and CR domain. In contrast to the sMR, the CRD(4-7)Fc fusion protein is dimeric due to dimerization via the Fc region. As such, CRD(4-7)Fc might be expected to have a higher affinity than the sMR. A direct comparison of the affinity of binding between the two molecules was not carried out as part of this investigation. However, in a separate experiment, not reported here, preincubation and cross-linking of CRD(4-7)Fc with MR5D3 strongly indicated that increasing the valency of the MR increased the affinity of binding for CRD ligands. Higher affinity acquired by multimerization of several MR molecules was also indicated for binding to CR domain ligands as shown by the increased binding observed following attachment of the sMR to a large polysaccharide backbone. Cross-linking of the MR by high molecular weight polysaccharides may also occur on the cell surface if the relevant CRD domains are accessible. Recognition of pneumococcal CPSs by the MR shows that criteria other than the primary polysaccharide structure must be taken into account. One possible explanation is the recognition of conformational epitopes. According to NMR data, pneumococcal CPSs have an extended, flexible, ribbon-like structure with no stabilization of secondary structure (37, 38). It is possible that this flexibility allows the positioning of hydroxyl groups between different monosaccharide residues at suitable positions to allow for binding to CRD domains. Thus, rather than contact between one CRD and one monosaccharide residue, one CRD may make contact with two closely adjacent monosaccharides. It is known that the repeating units of pneumococcal CPSs have preferred secondary conformations and that conformational epitopes within these polysaccharides are recognized by antibodies (39, 40). The polysaccharide structural moieties recognized by the MR are present on both surface-bound CPS and soluble CPS as shown by direct binding and inhibition assays. Compared with yeast mannan, however, the pneumococcal CPSs are relatively weak ligands. This was shown by (a) the amount of MR detected directly bound to CPS-coated plates, (b) by the concentrations of monosaccharide required to inhibit binding to CPS, and (c) by the concentrations of CPS needed to inhibit in solution. In comparison with S. pneumoniae, CPSs from K. pneumoniae showed no binding or in three cases very poor binding
to the MR. K. pneumoniae CPSs have well defined secondary
helical conformations shown by x-ray diffraction analysis (41). If
conformation is a main factor in CPS recognition, then a more rigid
secondary polysaccharide conformation may result in a less varied
display of sugar hydroxyl groups and preclude MR binding. Where side
branches are present in the polysaccharide repeating unit, these are
usually displayed outwards from the main In contrast to the very poor binding shown toward CPSs from K. pneumoniae, the LPS bound with relatively high affinity. As with the pneumococcal CPSs, LPS was recognized both when surface-bound and when in solution. The O-antigenic side chain of the O3 K. pneumoniae LPS serotype consists of a linear polymer of D-Man residues. As expected, this LPS type bound well to the MR. In addition, however, both the polygalactan O-antigen serotypes (O1 and O2a) and the rough type LPS were recognized. The rough LPS and O2a (K3) LPS serotype in particular showed very strong binding to the MR comparable with yeast mannan. The structures of the core oligosaccharide regions of K. pneumoniae LPS have only recently been determined (42, 43) and are generally not as well defined as those from Salmonella or Escherichia coli. Analysis of the core regions from eight serotypes revealed that they all had similar structures variously containing terminal D-Glc and D-Hep residues as well as, unusually for LPS, D-GalA. LPS from a rough strain of K. pneumoniae expressed an unusual small oligosaccharide composed of D-Hep residues (44). The ring structure of D-Hep has the same configuration as D-Man and is therefore potentially a high affinity ligand for the MR, although this has not been tested directly. At this stage, we have not determined which part of the LPS molecule is bound by the MR (i.e. whether the O-antigenic side chains are bound directly or whether all binding is directed toward the core oligosaccharide regions). As well as recognition of LPSs from K. pneumoniae, some binding to the rough LPSs from Salmonella was observed, but at a much lower affinity. These LPSs variously contain terminal D-Hep residues as well as terminal D-Glc or D-Gal residues. The roughest LPS mutant, containing only terminal 3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonic acid, was also recognized. Similarly to CPS, therefore, the structural features of the LPS polysaccharides supporting MR binding are not clear, again indicating a conformational dependence. Not all LPSs tested were found to bind. Those from P. aeruginosa, H. influenzae, and N. meningitidis showed no binding at all. It may be of interest to note that H. influenzae and N. meningitidis are pathogens and that P. aeruginosa causes serious infection in cystic fibrosis patients, whereas K. pneumoniae is not pathogenic under normal circumstances. Previous studies have reported that the binding and phagocytosis of
whole cells of K. pneumoniae by alveolar MØs occurs through the recognition of CPS by the MR (16). In in vitro assays
using purified CPS and the purified MR protein, however, we were unable to demonstrate any significant binding. K. pneumoniae CPS is
released from cells as a complex of CPS, LPS, and protein as well as
being associated with the cell surface (45). The crude CPS extract in
all the strains analyzed, except K26, showed very weak binding to the
MR in vitro (data not shown). On further purification, however, all binding, in nearly all cases, was shown to be due to the
LPS component. It is possible that LPS on the cell surface may
contribute to binding to MØs or that other MØ receptors such as class
A scavenger receptors (46), complement receptor type 3 (47, 48), or the
recently identified The Ca2+-dependent lectins of the collectin family, mannose-binding protein (MBP) and the two surfactant proteins A and D, recognize a wide variety of different microorganisms (50-52). MBP recognizes different monosaccharides with the same binding specificity as the MR, and the mechanism of sugar recognition by the CRD of MBP is analogous to that of CRD 4 of the MR. The prediction would be for both lectins to recognize similar microbial polysaccharides. In this respect, MBP has been reported to recognize rough LPS structures from Salmonella but not to bind to whole cells of S. pneumoniae (53, 54). In the case of MBP, binding to the purified bacterial component did not always reflect actual binding to the bacterial surface experimentally. This is perhaps not surprising, since different surface components may interact in concert, or one component may prevent binding of another. In the case of S. pneumoniae, for example, the pneumococcal surface protein A extends from the cell wall and protrudes outside the capsule. The exposed part of this protein has a highly electronegative charge, which reduces complement activation on the bacterial surface (55). Surface protein A may also repel the binding of other molecules such as the MBP. With respect to K. pneumoniae, it is possible that the LPS is still accessible even in capsular strains (56). Similar to the conclusions made during the present study for MR recognition, no direct correlation could be made between MBP binding to microbial polysaccharides and the primary polysaccharide structure (53, 54), again indicating an important conformational effect regarding recognition of complex polysaccharides. The sugar binding specificities of the surfactant proteins A and D are not as clearly defined as (and differ from) those of the MR and MBP. They have both been reported to bind bacterial CPS and LPS, and knockout mice have demonstrated an important role for surfactant protein A in pulmonary innate immunity (51, 52). Both purified bacterial polysaccharide and bacterial polysaccharide or oligosaccharide in the form of protein glycoconjugates are used in vaccines. The initial interaction of the CPS with the host is mediated by components of innate immunity such as natural IgM anti-carbohydrate antibodies, complement, and lectins. The MR, either on MØs or as a soluble protein, forms one such constituent, and its overall importance is not known. Factors such as the binding, uptake, transport, localization, and rate of degradation and clearance of polysaccharide antigens, however, are poorly understood, and all may be modified by MR recognition. It should be noted that a physiological concentration of blood glucose of ~6 mM may be sufficient to reduce binding of weak ligands to the MR. Some bacterial polysaccharides, including pneumococcal CPSs, activate the alternative complement pathway, resulting in the covalent attachment of complement components such as C3d (57). Covalent attachment of complement results in targeting of the polysaccharide to splenic marginal zone B cells and to follicular DCs, both of which express high levels of the complement receptors CD21 and CD35. The spleen and particularly marginal zone B cells are important in anti-carbohydrate immune responses. Complement activation and attachment to CPS may increase (or be critical to) the antibody response, similar to the effect observed with protein antigens (58). The MR is a heavily glycosylated molecule, most probably sialylated, which may serve to reduce CPS-mediated complement activation. If bound at a sufficient density, sMR may also affect recognition and cross-linking of B cell receptors by the CPS. Overall, the effect would be to potentially reduce the anti-CPS immune response. Another possibility is that the sMR targets antigen to cells expressing ligands for the CR domain of the MR (i.e. metallophilic marginal zone MØs and DCs) (11, 12, 59). The structures of the sulfated oligosaccharide ligands expressed by these cells are not known. In agreement with Ref. 10, we show SO4-3-Gal to be a good ligand as well as SO4-3-GalNAc and SO4-4-GalNAc. Expression of SO4-4-GalNAc occurs on pituitary glycoprotein hormones and is responsible for the rapid clearance of these glycoproteins from the bloodstream by hepatic endothelial cells mediated by MR recognition (60). Sulfated GalNAc, however, is an unusual modification, probably specific to pituitary hormones, and it is more likely that terminal SO4-3-D-Gal is recognized on metallophilic marginal zone MØs and DCs. We have shown that the sMR can bind at the same time CPS through its
CRD domains and sulfated oligosaccharide through the CR domain. It has
been speculated that DCs expressing ligands for the CR domain may serve
to transport antigens via surface-bound sMR. Such DCs have been traced
migrating from sites of immunization to B cell areas in secondary
lymphoid tissues (12, 59). CPS may therefore be targeted to specific
cells via sMR attachment. The potential effects of MR recognition of
CPS and LPS on immune responses are currently under investigation.
We thank Dr. Chris Jones for help and for supplying pneumococcal CPSs, Dr. Harry Deneer for kindly sending strains of K. pneumoniae, and Dr. Svein R. Anderson and Geoffrey Guile (Jenner Institute) for N. meningitidis LPS and for help with high performance liquid chromatography analysis, respectively. We also thank Dr. Sheena Linehan, Dr. Gordon Brown, and Sally Boxall for preparing CRD(4-7)Fc.
* The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. The article must therefore be hereby marked "advertisement" in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.
§ To whom correspondence should be addressed: The Edward Jenner Institute for Vaccine Research, Compton, Berkshire RG20 7NN, UK. Tel.: 44-1635-577934; Fax: 44-1635-577901; E-mail: susanne.zamze@jenner.ac.uk.
Published, JBC Papers in Press, August 23, 2002, DOI 10.1074/jbc.M207057200
2 L. Martinez-Pomares, D. M. Reid, P. R. Taylor, S. A. Linehan, S. Zamze, S. Y. C. Wong, and S. Gordon, manuscript in preparation.
The abbreviations used are: MR, mannose receptor; CPS, capsular polysaccharide; 4, 6-(S)-pyruvate, 4,6-cyclic pyruvate acetal; CRD, carbohydrate recognition domain; CRD(4-7)Fc, CRDs 4-7 of the mannose receptor fused to human IgG1 Fc; CR, cysteine-rich; CR-Fc, the cysteine-rich domain of the mannose receptor fused to human IgG1 Fc; DC, dendritic cell; ELISA, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; L-Fuc, L-fucose; L-FucNAc, N-acetyl-L-fucosamine; D-GalA, D-galacturonic acid; D-Hep, L-glycero-D-manno-heptose; LPS, lipopolysaccharide; D-ManNAc, N-acetyl-mannosamine; MBP, mannose-binding protein; PAA, polyacrylamide; PEA, phosphoethanolamine; L-Rha, L-rhamnose; sMR, soluble mannose receptor; AATGal, 2-acetamido-4-amino-2,4,6-trideoxy-D-galactose; CW-PS, cell wall polysaccharide; MØ, macrophage.
Copyright © 2002 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc. This article has been cited by other articles:
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