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Human cell surface receptor CD58, also known as lymphocyte function-associated antigen 3 (LFA-3), plays a critical role in the early stages of immune response through interacting with CD2. Recent research identified CD58 as a surface marker of colorectal cancer (CRC), which can upregulate the Wnt pathway and promote self-renewal of colorectal tumor-initiating cells (CT-ICs) by degradation of Dickkopf 3. In addition, it was also shown that knockdown of CD58 significantly impaired tumor growth. In this study, we developed a structure-based virtual screening pipeline using Autodock Vina and binding analysis and identified a group of small molecular compounds having the potential to bind with CD58. Five of them significantly inhibited the growth of the SW620 cell line in the following in vitro studies. Their proposed binding models were further verified by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and some pharmaceutically relevant chemical and physical properties were predicted. The hits described in this work may be considered interesting leads or structures for the development of new and more efficient CD58 inhibitors.

The immune system has very intricate mechanisms of fighting against the invading infections which are accomplished by a sequential event of molecular interactions in the body. One of the crucial phenomena in this process is the recognition of T-cells by the antigen-presenting cells (APCs), which is initiated by the rapid interaction between both cell surface receptors, i.e., CD2 located on T-cells and CD58 located on APCs. Under various pathological conditions, which involve undesired immune response, inhibiting the CD2-CD58 interactions becomes a therapeutically relevant opportunity. Herein we present an extensive work to identify novel inhibiting agents of the CD2-CD58 interactions. Classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the CD2-CD58 complex highlighted a series of crucial CD58 residues responsible for the interactions with CD2. Based on such results, a pharmacophore map, complementary to the CD2-binding site of CD58, was created and employed for virtual screening of ~ 300,000 available compounds. On the ~ 6000 compounds filtered from pharmacophore mapping, ADME screening leads to ~ 350 molecules. Molecular docking was then performed on these molecules, and fifteen compounds emerged with significant binding energy (< - 50 kcal/mol) for CD58. Finally, short MD simulations were performed in triplicate on each complex (i) to provide a microscopic view of the ligand binding and (ii) to rule out possibly weak binders of CD58 from the identified hits. At last, we suggest eight compounds for in vitro testing that were identified as promising hits to bind CD58 with a high binding affinity.

The molecular organization of receptors in the plasma membrane of cells is paramount for their functionality. We combined lattice light-sheet (LLS) microscopy with three-dimensional (3D) single-molecule localization microscopy (dSTORM) and single-particle tracking to quantify the expression and distribution, and mobility of CD56 receptors on whole fixed and living cells, finding that CD56 accumulated at cell-cell interfaces. For comparison, we investigated two other receptors, CD2 and CD45, which showed different expression levels and distributions in the plasma membrane. Overall, 3D-LLS-dSTORM enabled imaging and single-particle tracking of plasma membrane receptors with single-molecule sensitivity unperturbed by surface effects. Our results demonstrate that receptor distribution and mobility are largely unaffected by contact to the coverslip but the measured localization densities are in general lower at the basal plasma membrane due to partial limited accessibility for antibodies.

The CD2-CD58 protein-protein interaction is known to favor the recognition of antigen presenting cells by T cells. The structural, energetics, and dynamical properties of three known cyclic CD58 ligands, named P6, P7, and RTD-c, are studied through molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and molecular docking calculations. The ligands are built so as to mimic the C and F β-strands of protein CD2, connected via turn inducers. The MD analyses focus on the location of the ligands with respect to the experimental binding site and on the direct and water-mediated hydrogen bonds (H bonds) they form with CD58. Ligand P6, with a sequence close to the experimental β-strands of CD2, presents characteristics that explain its higher experimental affinity, e.g., the lower mobility and flexibility at the CD58 surface, and the larger number and occurrence frequency of ligand-CD58 H bonds. For the two other ligands, the structural modifications lead to changes in the binding pattern with CD58 and its dynamics. In parallel, a large set of molecular docking calculations, carried out with various search spaces and docking algorithms, are compared to provide a consensus view of the preferred ligand binding modes. The analysis of the ligand side chain locations yields results that are consistent with the CD2-CD58 crystal structure and suggests various binding modes of the experimentally identified hot spot of the ligands, i.e., Tyr86. P6 is shown to form a number of contacts that are also present in the experimental CD2-CD58 structure.

CD58 and CD2 have long been known as a pair of reciprocal adhesion molecules involved in the immune modulations of CD8 + T and NK-mediated cellular immunity in humans and several other mammals. However, the functional roles of CD58 and CD2 in CD4 + T-mediated adaptive humoral immunity remain poorly defined. Moreover, the current functional observations of CD58 and CD2 were mainly acquired from in vitro assays, and in vivo investigation is greatly limited due to the absence of a Cd58 homology in murine models. In this study, we identified cd58 and cd2 homologs from the model species zebrafish ( Danio rerio ). These two molecules share conserved structural features to their mammalian counterparts. Functionally, cd58 and cd2 were significantly upregulated on antigen-presenting cells and Cd4 + T cells upon antigen stimulation. Blockade or knockdown of Cd58 and Cd2 dramatically impaired the activation of antigen-specific Cd4 + T and mIgM + B cells, followed by the inhibition of antibody production and host defense against bacterial infections. These results indicate that CD58/CD2 interaction was required for the full activation of CD4 + T-mediated adaptive humoral immunity. The interaction of Cd58 with Cd2 was confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation and functional competitive assays by introducing a soluble Cd2 protein. This study highlights a new costimulatory mechanism underlying the regulatory network of adaptive immunity and makes zebrafish an attractive model organism for the investigation of CD58/CD2-mediated immunology and disorders. It also provides a cross-species understanding of the evolutionary history of costimulatory signals from fish to mammals as a whole.

Human CD2 is a transmembrane cell surface glycoprotein found on T lymphocytes and natural killer cells and plays important roles in immune recognition. The interaction between human CD2 and its counter receptor CD58 facilitates surface adhesion between helper T lymphocytes and antigen presenting cells as well as between cytolytic effectors and target cells. In this study, the molecular effect of glycosylation of CD2 on the structure and dynamics of the CD2-CD58 adhesion complex were examined via MD simulation to help understand the fundamental mechanism of glycosylation that controls CD2-CD58 adhesion. The present result and detailed analysis revealed that the binding interaction of human CD2-CD58 is dominated by three hot spots that form a binding triangle whose topology is critical for stable binding of CD2-CD58. Our study found that the conformation of human CD2, represented by the topology of this binding triangle, is significantly adjusted and steered by glycosylation toward a particular conformation that energetically stabilizes the CD2-CD58 complex. Thus, the fundamental mechanism of glycosylation of human CD2 is to promote CD2-CD58 binding by conformational adjustment of CD2. The current result and explanation are in excellent agreement with previous experiments and help elucidate the dynamical mechanism of glycosylation of human CD2.

Membrane proteins are among the most functionally important proteins in cells. Unlike soluble proteins, they only possess two translational degrees of freedom on cell surfaces, and experience significant constraints on their rotations. As a result, it is currently challenging to characterize the in situ binding of membrane proteins. Using the membrane receptors CD2 and CD58 as a testing system, we developed a multiscale simulation framework to study the differences of protein binding kinetics between 3D and 2D environments. The association and dissociation processes were implemented by a coarse-grained Monte-Carlo algorithm, while the dynamic properties of proteins diffusing on lipid bilayer were captured from all-atom molecular dynamic simulations. Our simulations show that molecular diffusion, linker flexibility and membrane fluctuations are important factors in adjusting binding kinetics. Moreover, by calibrating simulation parameters to the measurements of 3D binding, we derived the 2D binding constant which is quantitatively consistent with the experimental data, indicating that the method is able to capture the difference between 3D and 2D binding environments. Finally, we found that the 2D dissociation between CD2 and CD58 is about 100-fold slower than the 3D dissociation. In summary, our simulation framework offered a generic approach to study binding mechanisms of membrane proteins., (© 2014 The Protein Society.)

In this work for first time a lateral flow immunosensor device (LFID) for Cd(2+) determination in drinking and tap waters using the Cd-EDTA-BSA-AuNP conjugate as signal producer tool is introduced. The principle of working is based on competitive reaction between the Cd-EDTA-BSA-AuNP conjugate deposited on the conjugation pad strip and the Cd-EDTA complex formed in the analysis sample for the same binding sites of the 2A81G5 monoclonal antibody, specific to Cd-EDTA but not Cd(2+) free, which is immobilized onto the test line. The device has a large response range within 0.4-2000ppb, being the linear response between 0.4 and 10ppb. The quantification and detection limits of 0.4 and 0.1ppb, respectively, represent the lowest ones reported so far for paper based metal sensors. The obtained detection limit is 50 times lower than the maximum contamination level required for drinking water. Here we also show a new option for increasing the sensibility in the LFDs with competitive format, through the decreasing in concentrations of the Cd-EDTA-BSA-AuNP conjugate deposited in the conjugation strip and the mAbs deposited in the test and control zones until to reach optimized concentrations. It is an important result take into account that the increase in sensibility is one of the challenges in the field of LFD sensors, where are focused many of the ongoing researches. In addition, a specificity study of the device for several metal interferences, where potential metal interferences are masked with the use of the EDTA and OVA optimized concentrations, is presented too., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The CD2AP (CD2-associated protein) and CIN85 (Cbl-interacting protein of 85 kDa) adaptor proteins each employ three Src homology 3 (SH3) domains to cluster protein partners and ensure efficient signal transduction and down-regulation of tyrosine kinase receptors. Using NMR, isothermal titration calorimetry and small-angle X-ray scattering methods, we have characterized several binding modes of the N-terminal SH3 domain (SH3A) of CD2AP and CIN85 with two natural atypical proline-rich regions in CD2 (cluster of differentiation 2) and Cbl-b (Casitas B-lineage lymphoma), and compared these data with previous studies and published crystal structures. Our experiments show that the CD2AP-SH3A domain forms a type II dimer with CD2 and both type I and type II dimeric complexes with Cbl-b. Like CD2AP, the CIN85-SH3A domain forms a type II complex with CD2, but a trimeric complex with Cbl-b, whereby the type I and II interactions take place at the same time. Together, these results explain how multiple interactions among similar SH3 domains and ligands produce a high degree of diversity in tyrosine kinase, cell adhesion or T-cell signaling pathways., (© 2013 FEBS.)

N-Glycosylation is one of the most common cotranslational and post-translational modifications occurring in protein biosynthesis and plays a critical role in protein folding and structural diversification. Molecular dynamics studies of two benchmark systems, the NH(2)-terminal human CD2 adhesion domain (HsCD2ad), and the NH(2)-terminal rat CD2 adhesion domain (RnCD2ad) were carried out to investigate the energetic and dynamic effect of N-glycosylation on protein's stability. Our study revealed that N-glycosylation of HsCD2ad at the type I β-bulge turn strengthens the relevant hydrogen bonds, in particular, the hydrogen bond between Asn(65)OD1-Thr(67)HG1. Dynamic cross correlation map analysis showed that nonglycosylated HsCD2ad has strong anticorrelated motions, whereas glycosylated HsCD2ad largely destroyed this anticorrelated motion. As a result, N-glycosylation energetically and dynamically stabilizes HsCD2ad. In contrast, N-glycosylation of RnCD2ad does not display observable effect on protein's stabilization. The current theoretical result is in excellent agreement with the recent thermodynamic experiment of Culyba et al. and indicates that enthalpy and entropy may both contribute to the stabilization of human CD2 by N-glycosylation.

Hyper-IgM syndrome type 2 stems from mutations in activation-induced deoxycytidine deaminase (AID) that abolish immunoglobulin class-switch recombination, causing an accumulation of IgM and absence of IgG, IgA, and IgE isotypes. Although hyper-IgM syndrome type 2 is rare, the 23 missense mutations identified in humans span almost the entire gene for AID resulting in a recessive phenotype. Using high resolution x-ray structures for Apo3G-CD2 as a surrogate for AID, we identify three classes of missense mutants as follows: catalysis (class I), substrate interaction (class II), and structural integrity (class III). Each mutant was expressed and purified from insect cells and compared biochemically to wild type (WT) AID. Four point mutants retained catalytic activity at 1/3rd to 1/200th the level of WT AID. These "active" point mutants mimic the behavior of WT AID for motif recognition specificity, deamination spectra, and high deamination processivity. We constructed a series of C-terminal deletion mutants (class IV) that retain catalytic activity and processivity for deletions ≤18 amino acids, with ΔC(10) and ΔC(15) having 2-3-fold higher specific activities than WT AID. Deleting 19 C-terminal amino acids inactivates AID. WT AID and active and inactive point mutants bind cooperatively to single-stranded DNA (Hill coefficients ∼1.7-3.2) with microscopic dissociation constant values (K(A)) ranging between 10 and 250 nm. Active C-terminal deletion mutants bind single-stranded DNA noncooperatively with K(A) values similar to wild type AID. A structural analysis is presented that shows how localized defects in different regions of AID can contribute to loss of catalytic function.

GYF domains are small polyproline-recognition modules adopting a structural arrangement consisting of a single α-helix packed against a small β-sheet. Although most families of proline-rich recognition modules have been extensively characterized in terms of function, structure, or conformational flexibility, little is known about GYF domain functionality and folding. We have undertaken the thermodynamic characterization of the unfolding of CD2BP2-GYF domain by combining differential scanning calorimetry and circular dichroism under different pH conditions. The experimental data can be well-described in terms of a two-state equilibrium, although an unusually high heat capacity of the native state reflects a considerable conformational flexibility and dynamics of CD2BP2-GYF domain. In addition, the normalized thermodynamic parameters of unfolding (enthalpy, entropy and heat capacity) are roughly a factor of two greater than expected. In contrast, stability curves reveal an ordinary unfolding behavior of CD2BP2-GYF domain in terms of Gibbs energies, incurring thus unusually strong enthalpy-entropy compensation. This phenomenon, previously described as "thermodynamic homeostasis", has been associated in different examples to the contribution of occluded water (solvent) molecules into the protein structure. By means of CASTp server, we have found seven cavities/pockets scattered throughout of the CD2BP2-GYF structure, each able to harbor at least one water molecule. This structural feature provides rationalization for the atypical enthalpy values observed for CD2BP2-GYF because each water molecule is able to organize an extra amount of hydrogen bonds in the native state. In addition, these bound waters increase the vibrational entropy of the protein, which could also be responsible for an increase in protein flexibility and may thus fully explain the homeostatic behavior experimentally observed.

Sheep red blood cell (SRBC), a non-specific biological response modifier that has long been used as a classical antigen, has been shown to exert an immunomodulatory and anti-tumor activities in experimental animals. The active component of SRBC, which is responsible for such effects, was found to be a cell surface acidic glycoprotein molecule, known as T11 target structure (T11TS). In the present study, T11TS was isolated and purified to homogeneity using a five-step protocol involving isolation of sheep erythrocyte membrane from packed cell volume, 20% ammonium sulfate cut of the crude membrane proteins mixture, immunoaffinity purification using mouse anti-sheep CD58 mAb (L180/1) tagged matrix, preparative gel electrophoresis, and gel electroelution process. Finally, the purity and identity of the proteins were confirmed by the matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometric analysis. The in silico glycosylation site analysis showed that the extracellular domain contained three N-glycosylation sites (N-12, N-62, and N-111) and one O-glycosylation site (T-107). However, the experimental analysis negated the presence of O-linked glycan moieties on T11TS. To investigate the role of glycan moieties in the current immunotherapeutic regime, T11TS and its deglycosylated form (dT11TS) were administered intraperitoneally (i.p.) in N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea-induced immune-compromised mice at 0.4 mg/kg body weight. It was observed that both the forms of T11TS could activate the compromised immune status of mice by augmenting immune receptor expression (CD2, CD25, CD8, and CD11b), T-helper 1 shift of cytokine network, enhanced cytotoxicity, and phagocytosis activity. Therefore, the results nullify the active involvement of the N-linked glycan moieties in immunotherapeutic efficacy of T11TS.

N-glycosylation of eukaryotic proteins helps them fold and traverse the cellular secretory pathway and can increase their stability, although the molecular basis for stabilization is poorly understood. Glycosylation of proteins at naïve sites (ones that normally are not glycosylated) could be useful for therapeutic and research applications but currently results in unpredictable changes to protein stability. We show that placing a phenylalanine residue two or three positions before a glycosylated asparagine in distinct reverse turns facilitates stabilizing interactions between the aromatic side chain and the first N-acetylglucosamine of the glycan. Glycosylating this portable structural module, an enhanced aromatic sequon, in three different proteins stabilizes their native states by -0.7 to -2.0 kilocalories per mole and increases cellular glycosylation efficiency.

Human natural killer (NK) cells express an abundant level of 2B4 and CD2 on their surface. Their counter-receptors, CD48 and CD58, are also expressed on the NK cell surface, raising a question about the functional consequences of potential 2B4/CD48 and CD2/CD58 interactions. Using blocking antibodies specific to each receptor, we demonstrated that both 2B4/CD48 and CD2/CD58 interactions were essential for the development of NK effector functions: cytotoxicity and cytokine secretion. However, only 2B4/CD48, but not CD2/CD58, interactions were shown to be critical for the optimal NK cell proliferation in response to interleukin (IL)-2. IL-2-activated NK cells cultured in the absence of 2B4/CD48 or CD2/CD58 interactions were severely impaired for their ability to induce intracellular calcium mobilization and subsequent ERK activation upon tumor target exposure, suggesting that the early signaling pathway of NK receptors leading to impaired cytolysis and interferon (IFN)-γ secretion was inhibited. Nevertheless, these defects did not fully account for the reduced proliferation of NK cells in the absence of 2B4/CD48 interactions, because anti-CD2 or anti-CD58 monoclonal antibody (mAb)-treated NK cells, showing defective signaling and effector functions, displayed normal proliferation upon IL-2 stimulation. These results propose the signaling divergence between pathways leading to cell proliferation and cytotoxicity/cytokine release, which can be differentially regulated by 2B4 and CD2 during IL-2-driven NK cell activation. Collectively, these results reveal the importance of homotypic NK-to-NK cell cross-talk through 2B4/CD48 and CD2/CD58 pairs and further present their differential and overlapping roles in human NK cells.

The folding energetics of the mono-N-glycosylated adhesion domain of the human immune cell receptor cluster of differentiation 2 (hCD2ad) were studied systematically to understand the influence of the N-glycan on the folding energy landscape. Fully elaborated N-glycan structures accelerate folding by 4-fold and stabilize the beta-sandwich structure by 3.1 kcal/mol, relative to the nonglycosylated protein. The N-glycan's first saccharide unit accounts for the entire acceleration of folding and for 2/3 of the native state stabilization. The remaining third of the stabilization is derived from the next 2 saccharide units. Thus, the conserved N-linked triose core, ManGlcNAc(2), improves both the kinetics and the thermodynamics of protein folding. The native state stabilization and decreased activation barrier for folding conferred by N-glycosylation provide a powerful and potentially general mechanism for enhancing folding in the secretory pathway.

The relationship between intermembrane spacing, adhesion efficiency, and lateral organization of adhesion receptors has not been established for any adhesion system. We have utilized the CD2 ligand CD48 with two (wild type CD48 (CD48-WT)), four (CD48-CD2), or five (CD48-CD22) Ig-like domains. CD48-WT was 10-fold more efficient in mediating adhesion than CD48-CD2 or CD48-CD22. Electron tomography of contact areas with planar bilayers demonstrated average intermembrane spacing of 12.8 nm with CD48-WT, 14.7 nm with CD48-CD2, and 15.6 nm with CD48-CD22. Both CD48-CD2 and CD48-CD22 chimeras segregated completely from CD48-WT in mixed contact areas. In contrast, CD48-CD2 and CD48-CD22 co-localized when mixed contacts were formed. Confocal imaging of immunological synapses formed between primary T lymphocytes and Chinese hamster ovary cells presenting major histocompatibility complex-peptide complexes, and different forms of CD48 demonstrated that CD48-CD2 and CD48-CD22 induce an eccentric CD2/T cell antigen receptor cluster. We propose that this reorganization of the immunological synapse sequesters the T cell antigen receptor in a location where it cannot interact with its ligand and dramatically reduces T cell sensitivity.

Ca2+, as a messenger of signal transduction, regulates numerous target molecules via Ca2+-induced conformational changes. Investigation into the determinants for Ca2+-induced conformational change is often impeded by cooperativity between multiple metal-binding sites or protein oligomerization in naturally occurring proteins. To dissect the relative contributions of key determinants for Ca2+-dependent conformational changes, we report the design of a single-site Ca2+-binding protein (CD2.trigger) created by altering charged residues at an electrostatically sensitive location on the surface of the host protein rat Cluster of Differentiation 2 (CD2).CD2.trigger binds to Tb3+ and Ca2+ with dissociation constants of 0.3 +/- 0.1 and 90 +/- 25 microM, respectively. This protein is largely unfolded in the absence of metal ions at physiological pH, but Tb3+ or Ca2+ binding results in folding of the native-like conformation. Neutralization of the charged coordination residues, either by mutation or protonation, similarly induces folding of the protein. The control of a major conformational change by a single Ca2+ ion, achieved on a protein designed without reliance on sequence similarity to known Ca2+-dependent proteins and coupled metal-binding sites, represents an important step in the design of trigger proteins.

Electrostatic interactions are important for molecular recognition processes including Ca2+-binding and cell adhesion. To understand these processes, we have successfully introduced a novel Ca2+-binding site into the non-Ca2+-dependent cell adhesion protein CD2 using our criteria that are specifically tailored to the structural and functional properties of the protein environment and charged adhesion surface. This designed site with ligand residues exclusively from the beta-sheets selectively binds to Ca2+ and Ln3+ over other mono- and divalent cations. While Ca2+ and Ln3+ binding specifically alters the local environment of the designed Ca2+-binding site, the designed protein undergoes a significantly smaller conformation change compared with those observed in naturally occurring Ca2+-binding sites that are composed of at least part of the flexible loop and helical regions. In addition, the CD2-CD48-binding affinity increased approximately threefold after protein engineering, suggesting that the cell adhesion of CD2 can be modulated by altering the local electrostatic environment. The study provides site-specific information for regulating cell adhesion within CD2 and gives insight into the structural factors required for Ca2+-modulated biological processes.

CD2 is a T cell surface molecule that enhances T and natural killer cell function by binding its ligands CD58 (humans) and CD48 (rodents) on antigen-presenting or target cells. Here we show that the CD2/CD58 interaction is enthalpically driven and accompanied by unfavorable entropic changes. Taken together with structural studies, this indicates that binding is accompanied by energetically significant conformational adjustments. Despite having a highly charged binding interface, neither the affinity nor the rate constants of the CD2/CD58 interaction were affected by changes in ionic strength, indicating that long-range electrostatic forces make no net contribution to binding.

This study describes quantitative investigations of the impact of single charge mutations on equilibrium binding, kinetics, and the adhesion strength of the CD2-CD58 interaction. Previously steered molecular dynamics simulations guided the selection of the charge mutants investigated, which include the CD2 mutants D31A, K41A, K51A, and K91A. This set includes mutations in which the previous cell aggregation and binding data either agreed or disagreed with the steered molecular dynamics predictions. Surface plasmon resonance measurements quantified the solution binding properties. Adhesion was quantified with the surface force apparatus, which was used previously to study the closely related CD2-CD48 interaction. The results reveal roles that these salt bridges play in equilibrium binding and adhesion. We discuss both the molecular basis of this behavior and its implications for cell adhesion.

The signaling lymphocytic activation molecule (SLAM) family includes homophilic and heterophilic receptors that regulate both innate and adaptive immunity. The ectodomains of most SLAM family members are composed of an N-terminal IgV domain and a C-terminal IgC2 domain. NK-T-B-antigen (NTB-A) is a homophilic receptor that stimulates cytotoxicity in natural killer (NK) cells, regulates bactericidal activities in neutrophils, and potentiates T helper 2 (Th2) responses. The 3.0 A crystal structure of the complete NTB-A ectodomain revealed a rod-like monomer that self-associates to form a highly kinked dimer spanning an end-to-end distance of approximately 100 A. The NTB-A homophilic and CD2-CD58 heterophilic dimers show overall structural similarities but differ in detailed organization and physicochemical properties of their respective interfaces. The NTB-A structure suggests a mechanism responsible for binding specificity within the SLAM family and imposes physical constraints relevant to the colocalization of SLAM-family proteins with other signaling molecules in the immunological synapse.

The structural analysis of surface proteins belonging to the CD2 subset of the immunoglobulin superfamily has yielded important insights into transient cellular interactions. In mice and rats, CD2 and CD244 (2B4), which are expressed predominantly on T cells and natural killer cells, respectively, bind the same, broadly expressed ligand, CD48. Structures of CD2 and CD244 have been solved previously, and we now present the structure of the receptor-binding domain of rat CD48. The receptor-binding surface of CD48 is unusually flat, as in the case of rat CD2, and shares a high degree of electrostatic complementarity with the equivalent surface of CD2. The relatively simple arrangement of charged residues and this flat topology explain why CD48 cross-reacts with CD2 and CD244 and, in rats, with the CD244-related protein, 2B4R. Comparisons of modeled complexes of CD2 and CD48 with the complex of human CD2 and CD58 are suggestive of there being substantial plasticity in the topology of ligand binding by CD2. Thermodynamic analysis of the native CD48-CD2 interaction indicates that binding is driven by equivalent, weak enthalpic and entropic effects, in contrast to the human CD2-CD58 interaction, for which there is a large entropic barrier. Overall, the structural and biophysical comparisons of the CD2 homologues suggest that the evolutionary diversification of interacting cell surface proteins is rapid and constrained only by the requirement that binding remains weak and specific.

Four versions of a beta-sheet protein (CD2.d1) have been made, each with a single artificial disulfide bond inserted into hairpin structures. Folding kinetics of reduced and oxidized forms shows bridge position strongly influences its effect on the folding reaction. Bridging residues 58 and 62 does not affect the rapidly formed intermediate (I) or rate-limiting transition (t) state, whereas bridging 33 and 38, or 31 and 41, lowers the t-state energy, with the latter having the stronger influence. Bridging residues 79 and 90 stabilizes both I- and t-states. To assess additivity in the energetic effects of these bridges, four double-bridge variants have also been made. All show precise additivity of overall stability, with two showing additivity when ground states and the rate-limiting t-state are assessed, i.e. no measurable change in the folding mechanism occurs. However, combining 31-41 and 79-90 bridges produces a molecule that folds through a different pathway, with a much more stable intermediate than expected and a much higher t-state barrier. This is explained by the artificial introduction of stabilizing, non-native contacts in the I-state. More surprisingly, for another double-bridge version (58-62 and 79-90) both I- and t-states are less stable than expected, showing that conformational constraints introduced by the two bridges prevent formation of non-native contacts that would otherwise stabilize the I- and t-states, thereby lowering the energy of the folding landscape in the wild-type (unbridged) molecule. We conclude that the lowest energy path for folding has I- and t-state structures that are stabilized by non-native interactions.

Membrane subdomains have been implicated in T cell signaling, although their properties and mechanisms of formation remain controversial. Here, we have used single-molecule and scanning confocal imaging to characterize the behavior of GFP-tagged signaling proteins in Jurkat T cells. We show that the coreceptor CD2, the adaptor protein LAT, and tyrosine kinase Lck cocluster in discrete microdomains in the plasma membrane of signaling T cells. These microdomains require protein-protein interactions mediated through phosphorylation of LAT and are not maintained by interactions with actin or lipid rafts. Using a two color imaging approach that allows tracking of single molecules relative to the CD2/LAT/Lck clusters, we demonstrate that these microdomains exclude and limit the free diffusion of molecules in the membrane but also can trap and immobilize specific proteins. Our data suggest that diffusional trapping through protein-protein interactions creates microdomains that concentrate or exclude cell surface proteins to facilitate T cell signaling.

Susceptibility to autoimmunity in B6.Sle1b mice is associated with extensive polymorphisms between two divergent haplotypes of the SLAM/CD2 family of genes. The B6.Sle1b-derived SLAM/CD2 family haplotype is found in many other laboratory mouse strains but only causes autoimmunity in the context of the C57Bl/6 (B6) genome. Phenotypic analyses have revealed variations in the structure and expression of several members of the SLAM/CD2 family in T and B lymphocytes from B6.Sle1b mice. T lymphocytes from B6.Sle1b mice have modified signaling responses to stimulation at 4-6 weeks of age. While autoimmunity may be mediated by a combination of genes in the SLAM/CD2 family cluster, the strongest candidate is Ly108, a specific isoform of which is constitutively upregulated in B6.Sle1b lymphocytes.

The interaction between cell-adhesion molecules CD2 and CD58 is critical for an immune response. Modulation or inhibition of these interactions has been shown to be therapeutically useful. Synthetic 12-mer linear and cyclic peptides, and cyclic hexapeptides based on rat CD2 protein, were designed to modulate CD2-CD58 interaction. The synthetic peptides effectively blocked the interaction between CD2-CD58 proteins as demonstrated by antibody binding, E-rosetting and heterotypic adhesion assays. NMR and molecular modeling studies indicated that the synthetic cyclic peptides exhibit beta-turn structure in solution and closely mimic the beta-turn structure of the surface epitopes of the CD2 protein. Docking studies of CD2 peptides and CD58 protein revealed the possible binding sites of the cyclic peptides on CD58 protein. The designed cyclic peptides with beta-turn structure have the ability to modulate the CD2-CD58 interaction.

The predicted extracellular domain of the CD2v protein of African swine fever virus (ASFV) shares significant similarity to that of the CD2 protein in T cells but has a unique cytoplasmic domain of unknown function. Here we have shown that CD2v is expressed as a glycoprotein of approximately 105 kDa in ASFV-infected cells. In the absence of an extracellular ligand, the majority of CD2v appears to localize to perinuclear membrane compartments. Furthermore, we have shown using the yeast two-hybrid system and by direct binding studies that the cytoplasmic tail of CD2v binds to the cytoplasmic adaptor protein SH3P7 (mAbp1, HIP55), which has been reported to be involved in diverse cellular functions such as vesicle transport and signal transduction. A cDNA clone encoding a variant form of SH3P7 could also be identified and was found to be expressed in a wide range of porcine tissues. Deletion mutagenesis identified proline-rich repeats of sequence PPPKPC in the ASFV CD2v protein to be necessary and sufficient for binding to the SH3 domain of SH3P7. In ASFV-infected cells, CD2v and SH3P7 co-localized in areas surrounding the perinuclear virus factories. These areas also stained with an antibody that recognizes a Golgi network protein, indicating that they contained membranes derived from the Golgi network. Our data provide a first molecular basis for the understanding of the immunomodulatory functions of CD2v in ASFV-infected animals.

Recruitment of CD2 to the immunological synapse in response to antigen is dependent on its proline-rich cytoplasmic tail. A peptide from this region (CD2:322-339) isolated CMS (human CD2AP); a related protein, CIN85; and the actin capping protein, CAPZ from a T cell line. In BIAcore analyses, the N-terminal SH3 domains of CMS and CIN85 bound CD2:322-339 with similar dissociation constants (KD = approximately 100 microm). CAPZ bound the C-terminal half of CMS and CIN85. Direct binding between CMS/CIN85 and CAPZ provides a link with the actin cytoskeleton. Overexpression of a fragment from the C-terminal half or the N-terminal SH3 domain of CD2AP in a mouse T cell hybridoma resulted in enhanced interleukin-2 production and reduced T cell receptor down-modulation in response to antigen. These adaptor proteins are important in T cell signaling consistent with a role for CD2 in regulating pathways initiated by CMS/CIN85 and CAPZ.

The EF-hand calcium-binding loop III from calmodulin was inserted with glycine linkers into the scaffold protein CD2.D1 at three locations to study site-specific calcium binding properties of EF-hand motifs. After insertion, the host protein retains its native structure and forms a 1:1 metal-protein complex for calcium and its analog, lanthanum. Tyrosine-sensitized Tb3+ energy transfer exhibits metal binding and La3+ and Ca2+ compete for the metal binding site. The grafted EF-loop III in different environments has similar La3+ binding affinities, suggesting that it is largely solvated and functions independently from the host protein.

The force-induced detachment of the adhesion protein complex CD2-CD58 was studied by steered molecular dynamics simulations. The forced detachment of CD2 and CD58 shows that the system can respond to an external force by two mechanisms, which depend on the loading rate. At the rapid loading rates of 70 and 35 pN/ps (pulling speeds of 1 and 0.5 A/ps) the two proteins unfold before they separate, whereas at slower loading rates of 7 and 3.5 pN/ps (pulling speeds of 0.1 and 0.05 A/ps), the proteins separate before the domains can unfold. When subjected to a constant force of 400 pN, the two proteins separated without significant structural distortion. These findings suggest that protein unfolding is not coupled to the adhesive function of CD2 and CD58. The simulations further confirm that salt bridges primarily determine the tensile strength of the protein-to-protein bond, and that the order of salt bridge rupture depends mainly on the position of the bond, relative to the line of action of the applied force. Salt bridges close to this line break first. The importance of each of the salt bridges for adhesion, determined from the simulations, correlates closely with their role in cell-to-cell adhesion and equilibrium binding determined by site-directed mutagenesis experiments.

Intracellular protein interaction domains are essential for eukaryotic signaling. In T cells, the CD2BP2 adaptor binds two membrane-proximal proline-rich motifs in the CD2 cytoplasmic tail via its GYF domain, thereby regulating interleukin-2 production. Here we present the structure of the GYF domain in complex with a CD2 tail peptide. Unlike SH3 domains, which use two surface pockets to accommodate proline residues of ligands, the GYF domain employs phylogenetically conserved hydrophobic residues to create a single interaction surface. NMR analysis shows that the Fyn but not the Lck tyrosine kinase SH3 domain competes with CD2BP2 GYF-domain binding to the same CD2 proline-rich sequence in vitro. To test the in vivo significance of this competition, we used co-immunoprecipitation experiments and found that CD2BP2 is the ligand of the membrane-proximal proline-rich tandem repeat of CD2 in detergent-soluble membrane compartments, but is replaced by Fyn SH3 after CD2 is translocated into lipid rafts upon CD2 ectodomain clustering. This unveils the mechanism of a switch of CD2 function due to an extracellular mitogenic signal.

A cDNA encoding a feline homologue of CD2 (fCD2) was identified. Several amino acids (aa) important for ligand interaction, molecular folding or signal transduction, found in other mammalian CD2, were found to be highly conserved in the predicted fCD2 aa sequence. fCD2-expressing cells were able to form rosettes with human red blood cells (probably via human CD58), and the rosette formation was inhibited by an anti-fCD2 monoclonal antibody. These results are indicative of the similarity of feline and human CD2 structures. fCD2 was found to be expressed in feline peripheral blood T lymphocytes, monocytes and cultured lymphoid cells.

A novel lymphocyte-specific immunoglobulin superfamily protein (19A) has been cloned. The predicted 335-amino-acid sequence of 19A represents a Type 1 membrane protein with homology with the CD2 family of receptors. A molecular model of the two predicted extracellular immunoglobulin-like domains of 19A has been generated using the crystal structure of CD2 as a template. In isolated lymphocytes, expression of 19A is induced by various activation stimuli, and enforced expression of the 19A gene promotes homotypic cell adhesion in a B-cell-line model. Collectively these data imply that the 19A protein plays a role in regulation of lymphocyte adhesion.

To establish an approach to obtain the site-specific calcium binding affinity of EF-hand proteins, we have successfully designed a series of model proteins, each containing the EF-hand calcium-binding loop 3 of calmodulin, but with increasing numbers of Gly residues linking the loop to domain 1 of CD2. Structural analyses, using different spectroscopic methods, have shown that the host protein is able to retain its native structure after insertion of the 12-residue calcium-binding loop and retains a native thermal stability and thermal unfolding behavior. In addition, calcium binding to the engineered CD2 variants does not result in a significant change from native CD2 conformation. The CD2 variant with two Gly linkers has been shown to have the strongest metal binding affinity to Ca(II) and La(III). These experimental results are consistent with our molecular modeling studies, which suggest that this protein with the engineered EF-loop has a calmodulin-like calcium binding geometry and backbone conformation. The addition of two Gly linkers increases the flexibility of the inserted EF-loop 3 from calmodulin, which is essential for the proper binding of metal ions.

We describe a procedure for a space-time description of protein structures. The method is capable of determining populations of conformational substates, and amplitudes and directions of internal protein motions. This is achieved by fitting static and dynamic NMR data. The approach is based on the jumping-among-minima concept. First, a wide conformational space compatible with structural NMR data is sampled to find a large set of substates. Subsequently, intrasubstate motions are sampled by using molecular dynamics calculations with force field energy terms. Next, the populations of substates are fitted to NMR relaxation data. By diagonalizing a second moment matrix, directions and amplitudes of motions are identified. The method was applied to the adhesion domain of human CD2. We found that very few substates can account for most of the experimental data. Furthermore, only two types of collective motions have high amplitudes. They represent transitions between a concave (closed) and flat (open) binding face and resemble the change upon counter-receptor (CD58) binding.

Background: Are folding pathways conserved in protein families? To test this explicitly and ask to what extent structure specifies folding pathways requires comparison of proteins with a common fold. Our strategy is to choose members of a highly diverse protein family with no conservation of function and little or no sequence identity, but with structures that are essentially the same. The immunoglobulin-like fold is one of the most common structural families, and is subdivided into superfamilies with no detectable evolutionary or functional relationship., Results: We compared the folding of a number of immunoglobulin-like proteins that have a common structural core and found a strong correlation between folding rate and stability. The results suggest that the folding pathways of these immunoglobulin-like proteins share common features., Conclusions: This study is the first to compare the folding of structurally related proteins that are members of different superfamilies. The most likely explanation for the results is that interactions that are important in defining the structure of immunoglobulin-like proteins are also used to guide folding.

Nuclear spin relaxation monitored by heteronuclear NMR provides a useful method to probe the overall and internal molecular motion for biological macromolecules over a variety of time scales. Nitrogen-15 NMR relaxation parameters have been recorded for the N-terminal domain of the rat T-cell antigen CD2 (CD2d1) in a dilution series from 1.20 mM to 40 microM (pH 6.0, 25 degrees C). The data have been analysed within the framework of the model-free formalism of Lipari and Szabo to understand the molecular origin of severely enhanced transverse relaxation rates found for certain residues. These data revealed a strong dependence of the derived molecular correlation time tau c upon the CD2d1 protein concentration. Moreover, a number of amide NH resonances exhibited exchange broadening and chemical shifts both strongly dependent on protein concentration. These amide groups cluster on the major beta-sheet surface of CD2d1 that coincides with a major lattice contact in the X-ray structure of the intact ectodomain of rat CD2. The complete set of relaxation data fit well to an equilibrium monomer-dimer exchange model, yielding estimates of exchange rate constants (kON = 5000 M-1 s-1; kOFF = 7 s-1) and a dissociation constant (KD approximately 3-6 mM) that is consistent with the difficulty in detecting the weak interactions for this molecule by alternative biophysical methods. The self-association of CD2d1 is essentially invariant to changes in buffer composition and ionic strength and the associated relaxation phenomena cannot be explained as a result of neglecting anisotropic rotational diffusion in the analysis. These observations highlight the necessity to consider low affinity protein self-association interactions as a source of residue specific exchange phenomena in NMR spectra of macromolecular biomolecules, before the assignment of more elaborate intramolecular conformational mechanisms.

Interaction between CD2 and its counterreceptor, CD58 (LFA-3), on opposing cells optimizes immune recognition, facilitating contacts between helper T lymphocytes and antigen-presenting cells as well as between cytolytic effectors and target cells. Here, we report the crystal structure of the heterophilic adhesion complex between the amino-terminal domains of human CD2 and CD58. A strikingly asymmetric, orthogonal, face-to-face interaction involving the major beta sheets of the respective immunoglobulin-like domains with poor shape complementarity is revealed. In the virtual absence of hydrophobic forces, interdigitating charged amino acid side chains form hydrogen bonds and salt links at the interface (approximately 1200 A2), imparting a high degree of specificity albeit with low affinity (K(D) of approximately microM). These features explain CD2-CD58 dynamic binding, offering insights into interactions of related immunoglobulin superfamily receptors.

A general strategy is presented here for producing glycan-free forms of glycoproteins without loss of function by employing apolar-to-polar mutations of surface residues in functionally irrelevant epitopes. The success of this structure-based approach was demonstrated through the expression in Escherichia coli of a soluble 11 kDa adhesion domain extracted from the heavily glycosylated 55 kDa human CD58 ectodomain. The solution structure was subsequently determined and binding to its counter-receptor CD2 studied by NMR. This mutant adhesion domain is functional as determined by several experimental methods, and the size of its binding site has been probed by chemical shift perturbations in NMR titration experiments. The new structural information supports a 'hand-shake' model of CD2-CD58 interaction involving the GFCC'C" faces of both CD2 and CD58 adhesion domains. The region responsible for binding specificity is most likely localized on the C, C' and C" strands and the C-C' and C'-C" loops on CD58.

Most cell surface molecules are glycoproteins consisting of linear arrays of globular domains containing stretches of amino acid sequence with similarities to regions in other proteins. These conserved regions form the basis for the classification of proteins into superfamilies. Recombinant soluble forms of six leukocyte antigens belonging to the Ly-6 (CD59), scavenger receptor (CD5), and immunoglobulin (CD2, CD48, CD4, and Thy-1) superfamilies were expressed in the same Chinese hamster ovary cell line, thus providing an opportunity to examine the extent to which N-linked oligosaccharide processing might vary in a superfamily-, domain-, or protein-dependent manner in a given cell. While we found no evidence for superfamily-specific modifications of the glycans, marked differences were seen in the types of oligosaccharides attached to individual proteins within a given superfamily. The relative importance of local protein surface properties versus the overall tertiary structure of the molecules in directing this protein-specific variation was examined in the context of molecular models. These were constructed using the 3D structures of the proteins, glycan data from this study, and an oligosaccharide structural database. The results indicated that both the overall organization of the domains and the local protein structure can have a large bearing on site-specific glycan modification of cells in stasis. This level of control ensures that the surface of a single cell will display a diverse repertoire of glycans and precludes the presentation of multiple copies of a single oligosaccharide on the cell surface. The glycans invariably shield large regions of the protein surfaces although, for the glycoproteins examined here, these did not hinder the known active sites of the molecules. The models also indicated that sugars are likely to play a role in the packing of the native cell surface glycoproteins and to limit nonspecific protein-protein interactions. In addition, glycans located close to the cell membrane are likely to affect crucially the orientation of the glycoproteins to which they are attached.

The binding of the cell surface molecule CD58 (formerly lymphocyte function-associated antigen 3) to its ligand, CD2, significantly increases the sensitivity of antigen recognition by T cells. This was the first heterophilic cell adhesion interaction to be discovered and is now an important paradigm for analyzing the structural basis of cell-cell recognition. The crystal structure of a CD2-binding chimeric form of CD58, solved to 1.8-A resolution, reveals that the ligand binding domain of CD58 has the expected Ig superfamily V-set topology and shares several of the hitherto unique structural features of CD2, consistent with previous speculation that the genes encoding these molecules arose via duplication of a common precursor. Nevertheless, evidence for considerable divergence of CD2 and CD58 is also implicit in the structures. Mutations that disrupt CD2 binding map to the highly acidic surface of the AGFCC'C" beta-sheet of CD58, which, unexpectedly, lacks marked shape complementarity to the equivalent, rather more basic CD58-binding face of human CD2. The specificity of the very weak interactions of proteins mediating cell-cell recognition may often derive largely from electrostatic complementarity, with shape matching at the protein-protein interface being less exact than for interactions that combine specificity with high affinity, such as those involving antibodies.

Recombinant forms of the N-terminal domain of the cell adhesion receptor CD2 adopt a variety of olds by exchange of beta-sheets between adjacent polypeptide chains. Although these interdigitated forms are normally metastable, we have used site-directed mutagenesis to alter the kinetics of formation and relative stabilities of these states, leading to spontaneous formation of monomeric, dimeric, trimeric and tetrameric intertwined folded states. A characteristic feature of these fold-disorder-alternative fold transitions is the independence of each domain folding event, as deduced from kinetic analysis of folding data. Structures for fully interdigitated trimeric and tetrameric forms have been modelled, consistent with both the crystallographic and kinetic data. Although the biological role of these alternative folded states remains unclear, these structures form a remarkable demonstration of the fluidity of structure generated from a single polypeptide chain.

The CD2 molecule is one of several lymphocyte receptors that rapidly initiates signaling events regulating integrin-mediated cell adhesion. CD2 stimulation of resting human T cells results within minutes in an increase in beta1-integrin-mediated adhesion to fibronectin. We have utilized the HL60 cell line to map critical residues within the CD2 cytoplasmic domain involved in CD2 regulation of integrin function. A panel of CD2 cytoplasmic domain mutants was constructed and analyzed for their ability to upregulate integrin-mediated adhesion to fibronectin. Mutations in the CD2 cytoplasmic domain implicated in CD2-mediated interleukin-2 production or CD2 avidity do not affect CD2 regulation of integrin activity. A proline-rich sequence, K-G-P-P-L-P (amino acids 299 to 305), is essential for CD2-mediated regulation of beta1 integrin activity. CD2-induced increases in beta1 integrin activity could be blocked by two phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI 3-K) inhibitors or by overexpression of a dominant negative form of the p85 subunit of PI 3-K. In addition, CD2 cytoplasmic domain mutations that abrogate CD2-induced increases in integrin-mediated adhesion also ablate CD2-induced increases in PI 3-K enzymatic activity. Surprisingly, CD2 cytoplasmic domain mutations that inhibit CD2 regulation of adhesion do not affect the constitutive association of the p85 subunit of PI 3-K association with CD2. Mutation of the proline residues in the K-G-P-P-L-P motif to alanines prevented CD2-mediated activation of integrin function and PI 3-K activity but not mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase activity. Furthermore, the MEK inhibitor PD 098059 blocked CD2-mediated activation of MAP kinase but had no effect on CD2-induced adhesion. These studies identify a proline-rich sequence in CD2 critical for PI 3-K-dependent regulation of beta1 integrin adhesion by CD2. In addition, these studies suggest that CD2-mediated activation of MAP kinase is not involved in CD2 regulation of integrin adhesion.

An African swine fever virus (ASFV) gene with similarity to the T-lymphocyte surface antigen CD2 has been found in the pathogenic African isolate Malawi Lil-20/1 (open reading frame [ORF] 8-DR) and a cell culture-adapted European virus, BA71V (ORF EP402R) and has been shown to be responsible for the hemadsorption phenomenon observed for ASFV-infected cells. The structural and functional similarities of the ASFV gene product to CD2, a cellular protein involved in cell-cell adhesion and T-cell-mediated immune responses, suggested a possible role for this gene in tissue tropism and/or immune evasion in the swine host. In this study, we constructed an ASFV 8-DR gene deletion mutant (delta8-DR) and its revertant (8-DR.R) from the Malawi Lil-20/1 isolate to examine gene function in vivo. In vitro, delta8-DR, 8-DR.R, and the parental virus exhibited indistinguishable growth characteristics on primary porcine macrophage cell cultures. In vivo, 8-DR had no obvious effect on viral virulence in domestic pigs; disease onset, disease course, and mortality were similar for the mutant delta8-DR, its revertant 8-DR.R, and the parental virus. Altered viral infection was, however, observed for pigs infected with delta8-DR. A delay in spread to and/or replication of delta8-DR in the draining lymph node, a delay in generalization of infection, and a 100- to 1,000-fold reduction in virus titers in lymphoid tissue and bone marrow were observed. Onset of viremia for delta8-DR-infected animals was significantly delayed (by 2 to 5 days), and mean viremia titers were reduced approximately 10,000-fold at 5 days postinfection and 30- to 100-fold at later times; moreover, unlike in 8-DR.R-infected animals, the viremia was no longer predominantly erythrocyte associated but rather was equally distributed among erythrocyte, leukocyte, and plasma fractions. Mitogen-dependent lymphocyte proliferation of swine peripheral blood mononuclear cells in vitro was reduced by 90 to 95% following infection with 8-DR.R but remained unaltered following infection with delta8-DR, suggesting that 8-DR has immunosuppressive activity in vitro. Together, these results suggest an immunosuppressive role for 8-DR in the swine host which facilitates early events in viral infection. This may be of most significance for ASFV infection of its highly adapted natural host, the warthog.

The Epstein-Barr virus Latent Membrane Protein-1 (LMP1) has structural features and functions consistent with it being a constitutively active cell surface receptor. The known association of LMP1 with members of the TRAF family of proteins suggests that LMP1 transduces signals similarly to the Tumour Necrosis Factor Receptor (TNFR) family of cell surface receptors that signal by forming dimers or trimers in response to binding of extracellular ligands. However, interactions between LMP1 and the TRAFs have so far only been described for the C-terminal activation region 1 (CTAR1) of LMP1 and no direct interactions of the TRAFs with the second NF-kappaB activation domain (CTAR2) have been reported. We have now mapped the NF-kappaB activation domain of CTAR2 to a highly conserved stretch of 6 amino acids at the far C-terminus (codons 379 to 384 in B95.8 LMP1). In addition, we constructed chimeric receptor molecules which contain the ligand-binding extracellular domain and the transmembrane domain of rat CD2 fused to the C-terminus of LMP1 encoding the CTAR1 and/or the CTAR2 domain. Interestingly, the function of a chimera encoding CTAR2 alone, as well as the function of a chimera encoding both CTAR1 and CTAR2 was found to be inducible upon antibody-mediated crosslinking. These inducible chimeric proteins also allowed us to demonstrate that LMP1 mediated NF-kappaB activation is an immediate event following activation of LMP1.

We studied single molecular interactions between surface-attached rat CD2, a T-lymphocyte adhesion receptor, and CD48, a CD2 ligand found on antigen-presenting cells. Spherical particles were coated with decreasing densities of CD48-CD4 chimeric molecules then driven along CD2-derivatized glass surfaces under a low hydrodynamic shear rate. Particles exhibited multiple arrests of varying duration. By analyzing the dependence of arrest frequency and duration on the surface density of CD48 sites, it was concluded that (i) arrests were generated by single molecular bonds and (ii) the initial bond dissociation rate was about 7.8 s-1. The force exerted on bonds was increased from about 11 to 22 pN; the detachment rate exhibited a twofold increase. These results agree with and extend studies on the CD2-CD48 interaction by surface plasmon resonance technology, which yielded an affinity constant of approximately 10(4) M-1 and a dissociation rate of > or = 6 s-1. It is concluded that the flow chamber technology can be an useful complement to atomic force microscopy for studying interactions between isolated biomolecules, with a resolution of about 20 ms and sensitivity of a few piconewtons. Further, this technology might be extended to actual cells.

The adhesion domain of human CD2 bears a single N-linked carbohydrate. The solution structure of a fragment of CD2 containing the covalently bound high-mannose N-glycan [-(N-acetylglucosamine)2-(mannose)5-8] was solved by nuclear magnetic resonance. The stem and two of three branches of the carbohydrate structure are well defined and the mobility of proximal glycan residues is restricted. Mutagenesis of all residues in the vicinity of the glycan suggests that the glycan is not a component of the CD2-CD58 interface; rather, the carbohydrate stabilizes the protein fold by counterbalancing an unfavorable clustering of five positive charges centered about lysine-61 of CD2.