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An advantage of mucosal vaccines over conventional parenteral vaccines is that they can induce protective immune responses not only at mucosal surfaces but also in systemic compartments. Despite this advantage, few live attenuated or inactivated mucosal vaccines have been developed and applied clinically. We recently showed that the intranasal immunization of ovalbumin (OVA) with class B synthetic oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) containing immunostimulatory CpG motif (CpG ODN)-loaded cationic liposomes synergistically exerted both antigen-specific mucosal immunoglobulin A (IgA) and systemic immunoglobulin G (IgG) responses in mice. However, the mechanism underlying the mucosal adjuvant activity of CpG ODN-loaded liposomes remains unknown. In the present study, we showed that the intranasal administration of CpG ODN-loaded cationic liposomes elicited interleukin (IL)-6 release in nasal tissues. Additionally, pre-treatment with an anti-IL-6 receptor (IL-6R) antibody attenuated antigen-specific nasal IgA production but not serum IgG responses. Furthermore, the intranasal administration of OVA and CpG ODN-loaded cationic liposomes increased the number of IgA + /CD138 + plasma cells and IgA + /B220 + B cells in the nasal passages. This increase was markedly suppressed by pre-treatment with anti-IL-6R blocking antibody. In conclusion, IL-6 released by CpG ODN-loaded cationic liposomes at the site of administration may play a role in the induction of antigen-specific IgA responses by promoting differentiation into IgA + plasma cells for IgA secretion from B cells.

Protein crystals are generally fragile and sensitive to subtle changes such as pH, ionic strength, and/or temperature in their crystallization mother liquor. Here, using T4 phage lysozyme as a model protein, the three-dimensional rigidification of protein crystals was conducted by introducing disulfide cross-links between neighboring molecules in the crystal. The effect of cross-linking on the stability of the crystals was evaluated by microscopic observation and X-ray diffraction. When soaking the obtained cross-linked crystals into a precipitant-free solution, the crystals held their shape without dissolution and diffracted to approximately 1.1 Å resolution, comparable to that of the non-cross-linked crystals. Such cross-linked crystals maintained their diffraction even when immersed in other solutions with pH values from 4 to 10, indicating that the disulfide cross-linking made the packing contacts enforced and resulted in some mechanical strength in response to changes in the preservation conditions. Furthermore, the cross-linked crystals gained stability to permit soaking into solutions containing high concentrations of organic solvents. The results suggest the possibility of obtaining protein crystals for effective drug screening by introducing appropriate cross-linked disulfide bonds., Competing Interests: Author EH is employed by ADTEC Co., Ltd. MB is a co-founder of, and has equity participation in, Trefoil Therapeutics Inc. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Hiromoto, Ikura, Honjo, Blaber, Kuroki and Tamada.)

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by a highly virulent and transmissible pathogen, has proven to be devastating to society. Mucosal vaccines that can induce antigen-specific immune responses in both the systemic and mucosal compartments are considered an effective measure to overcome infectious diseases caused by pathogenic microbes. We have recently developed a nasal vaccine system using cationic liposomes composed of 1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium-propane and cholesteryl 3β-N-(dimethylaminoethyl)carbamate in mice. However, the comprehensive molecular mechanism(s), especially the host soluble mediator involved in this process, by which cationic liposomes promote antigen-specific mucosal immune responses, remain to be elucidated. Herein, we show that intranasal administration of cationic liposomes elicited interleukin-6 (IL-6) expression at the site of administration. Additionally, both nasal passages and splenocytes from mice nasally immunized with cationic liposomes plus ovalbumin (OVA) were polarized to produce IL-6 when re-stimulated with OVA in vitro. Furthermore, pretreatment with anti-IL-6R antibody, which blocks the biological activities of IL-6, attenuated the production of OVA-specific nasal immunoglobulin A (IgA) but not OVA-specific serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) responses. In this study, we demonstrated that IL-6, exerted by nasally administered cationic liposomes, plays a crucial role in antigen-specific IgA induction., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Gamma-secretase modulators (GSMs) are promising disease-modifying drugs for Alzheimer's disease because they can selectively decrease pathogenic amyloid-β42 (Aβ42) levels. Here we report the discovery of orally active N-ethylpyridine-2-carboxamide derivatives as GSMs. The isoindolinone moiety of 5-[8-(benzyloxy)-2-methylimidazo[1,2-a]pyridin-3-yl]-2-ethyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-isoindol-1-one hydrogen chloride (1a) was replaced with a picolinamide moiety. Optimization of the benzyl group significantly improved GSM activity and mouse microsomal stability. 5-{8-[([1,1'-Biphenyl]-4-yl)methoxy]-2-methylimidazo[1,2-a]pyridin-3-yl}-N-ethylpyridine-2-carboxamide hydrogen chloride (1v) potently reduced Aβ42 levels with an IC 50 value of 0.091 µM in cultured cells without inhibiting CYP3A4. Moreover, 1v demonstrated a sustained pharmacokinetic profile and significantly reduced brain Aβ42 levels in mice., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Gamma-secretase modulators (GSMs) selectively inhibit the production of amyloid-β 42 (Aβ42) and may therefore be useful in the management of Alzheimer's disease. Most heterocyclic GSMs that are not derived from nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs contain an arylimidazole moiety that potentially inhibits cytochrome P450 (CYP) activity. Here, we discovered imidazopyridine derivatives that represent a new class of scaffold for GSMs, which do not have a strongly basic end group such as arylimidazole. High-throughput screening identified 2-methyl-8-[(2-methylbenzyl)oxy]-3-(pyridin-4-yl)imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine (3a), which inhibited the cellular production of Aβ42 (IC 50  = 7.1 µM) without changing total production of Aβ. Structural optimization of this series of compounds identified 5-[8-(benzyloxy)-2-methylimidazo[1,2-a]pyridin-3-yl]-2-ethylisoindolin-1-one (3m) as a potent inhibitor of Aβ42 (IC 50  = 0.39 µM) but not CYP3A4. Further, 3m demonstrated a sustained pharmacokinetic profile in mice and sufficiently penetrated the brain., (Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Human thrombopoietin (hTPO) primarily stimulates megakaryocytopoiesis and platelet production and is neutralized by the mouse TN1 antibody. The thermodynamic characteristics of TN1 antibody-hTPO complexation were analyzed by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) using an antigen-binding fragment (Fab) derived from the TN1 antibody (TN1-Fab). To clarify the mechanism by which hTPO is recognized by TN1-Fab the conformation of free TN1-Fab was determined to a resolution of 2.0 Å using X-ray crystallography and compared with the hTPO-bound form of TN1-Fab determined by a previous study. This structural comparison revealed that the conformation of TN1-Fab does not substantially change after hTPO binding and a set of 15 water molecules is released from the antigen-binding site (paratope) of TN1-Fab upon hTPO complexation. Interestingly, the heat capacity change (ΔCp) measured by ITC (-1.52 ± 0.05 kJ mol(-1)  K(-1) ) differed significantly from calculations based upon the X-ray structure data of the hTPO-bound and unbound forms of TN1-Fab (-1.02 ∼ 0.25 kJ mol(-1)  K(-1) ) suggesting that hTPO undergoes an induced-fit conformational change combined with significant desolvation upon TN1-Fab binding. The results shed light on the structural biology associated with neutralizing antibody recognition., (© 2016 The Protein Society.)

Despite the progress made by modern medicine, infectious diseases remain one of the most important threats to human health. Vaccination against pathogens is one of the primary methods used to prevent and treat infectious diseases that cause illness and death. Vaccines administered by the mucosal route are potentially a promising strategy to combat infectious diseases since mucosal surfaces are a major route of entry for most pathogens. However, this route of vaccination is not widely used in the clinic due to the lack of a safe and effective mucosal adjuvant. Therefore, the development of safe and effective mucosal adjuvants is key to preventing infectious diseases by enabling the use of mucosal vaccines in the clinic. In this study, we show that intranasal administration of a cationic liposome composed of 1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium-propane (DOTAP) and 3β-[N-(N',N'-dimethylaminoethane)-carbamoyl] (DC-chol) (DOTAP/DC-chol liposome) has a potent mucosal adjuvant effect in mice. Intranasal vaccination with ovalbumin (OVA) in combination with DOTAP/DC-chol liposomes induced the production of OVA-specific IgA in nasal tissues and increased serum IgG1 levels, suggesting that the cationic DOTAP/DC-chol liposome leads to the induction of a Th2 immune response. Additionally, nasal-associated lymphoid tissue and splenocytes from mice treated with OVA plus DOTAP/DC-chol liposome showed high levels of IL-4 expression. DOTAP/DC-chol liposomes also enhanced OVA uptake by CD11c+ dendritic cells in nasal-associated lymphoid tissue. These data demonstrate that DOTAP/DC-chol liposomes elicit immune responses via an antigen-specific Th2 reaction. These results suggest that cationic liposomes merit further development as a mucosal adjuvant for vaccination against infectious diseases.

UDP-glucose: anthocyanidin 3-O-glucosyltransferase (UGT78K6) from Clitoria ternatea catalyzes the transfer of glucose from UDP-glucose to anthocyanidins such as delphinidin. After the acylation of the 3-O-glucosyl residue, the 3'- and 5'-hydroxyl groups of the product are further glucosylated by a glucosyltransferase in the biosynthesis of ternatins, which are anthocyanin pigments. To understand the acceptor-recognition scheme of UGT78K6, the crystal structure of UGT78K6 and its complex forms with anthocyanidin delphinidin and petunidin, and flavonol kaempferol were determined to resolutions of 1.85 Å, 2.55 Å, 2.70 Å, and 1.75 Å, respectively. The enzyme recognition of unstable anthocyanidin aglycones was initially observed in this structural determination. The anthocyanidin- and flavonol-acceptor binding details are almost identical in each complex structure, although the glucosylation activities against each acceptor were significantly different. The 3-hydroxyl groups of the acceptor substrates were located at hydrogen-bonding distances to the Nε2 atom of the His17 catalytic residue, supporting a role for glucosyl transfer to the 3-hydroxyl groups of anthocyanidins and flavonols. However, the molecular orientations of these three acceptors are different from those of the known flavonoid glycosyltransferases, VvGT1 and UGT78G1. The acceptor substrates in UGT78K6 are reversely bound to its binding site by a 180° rotation about the O1-O3 axis of the flavonoid backbones observed in VvGT1 and UGT78G1; consequently, the 5- and 7-hydroxyl groups are protected from glucosylation. These substrate recognition schemes are useful to understand the unique reaction mechanism of UGT78K6 for the ternatin biosynthesis, and suggest the potential for controlled synthesis of natural pigments., (© 2015 The Protein Society.)

The conjugates with sulfate and glucoside of xanthurenic acid, a tryptophan metabolite, were reported to show natriuresis. Sulfotransferase for xanthurenic acid works in the renal proximal tubule to produce the sulfate of xanthurenic acid as well as the liver, and we recently found that xanthurenic acid is a substrate of renal organic anion transporter OAT1. The purpose of this study was to examine relationship between the transport by OAT1 and diuresis related with xanthurenic acid. Drug transport experiment using Xenopus laevis oocytes represented that probenecid inhibited xanthurenic acid uptake by rat OAT1 (rOAT1). Although no diuresis was recognized by the intravenous injection of xanthurenic acid as a bolus in rats, the addition of its infusion exhibited natriuresis. Simultaneous administration of probenecid significantly decreased the urine volume and excreted amounts of sodium into urine. These findings showed the diuresis by the xanthurenic acid administration, and it was probenecid-sensitive. The rOAT1-mediated transport of xanthurenic acid might, at least in part, contribute to its diuretic effect.

Flowers of the butterfly pea (Clitoria ternatea) accumulate a group of polyacylated anthocyanins, named ternatins, in their petals. The first step in ternatin biosynthesis is the transfer of glucose from UDP-glucose to anthocyanidins such as delphinidin, a reaction catalyzed in C. ternatea by UDP-glucose:anthocyanidin 3-O-glucosyltransferase (Ct3GT-A; AB185904). To elucidate the structure-function relationship of Ct3GT-A, recombinant Ct3GT-A was expressed in Escherichia coli and its tertiary structure was determined to 1.85 Å resolution by using X-ray crystallography. The structure of Ct3GT-A shows a common folding topology, the GT-B fold, comprised of two Rossmann-like β/α/β domains and a cleft located between the N- and C-domains containing two cavities that are used as binding sites for the donor (UDP-Glc) and acceptor substrates. By comparing the structure of Ct3GT-A with that of the flavonoid glycosyltransferase VvGT1 from red grape (Vitis vinifera) in complex with UDP-2-deoxy-2-fluoro glucose and kaempferol, locations of the catalytic His-Asp dyad and the residues involved in recognizing UDP-2-deoxy-2-fluoro glucose were essentially identical in Ct3GT-A, but certain residues of VvGT1 involved in binding kaempferol were found to be substituted in Ct3GT-A. These findings are important for understanding the differentiation of acceptor-substrate recognition in these two enzymes.

Kynurenic acid, a tryptophan metabolite, is involved in psychiatric disease. Our laboratory previously described its transport by rat/human organic anion transporters rOAT1, hOAT1, rOAT3 and hOAT3, which are involved in drug disposition. In this study, we performed an uptake experiment using Xenopus laevis oocytes to examine the transport of xanthurenic acid, a tryptophan catabolite and kynurenic acid analog, by various transporters. All the transporters tested stimulated the uptake of xanthurenic acid into oocytes. The transport activity of xanthurenic acid by hOAT1 was greater than that by rOAT1. In OAT3, the rat homolog showed efficient transport, compared with hOAT3. The apparent values of Km and Vmax for the transport by hOAT1 were 4.83 µM and 26.0 pmol/oocyte/h respectively. In rOAT3, the respective values were 6.87 µM and 21.7 pmol/oocyte/h. This is the first report on xanthurenic acid transport by OAT1 and OAT3.

The ultimate goal of catalytic antibody research is to develop new patient therapies that use the advantages offered by human catalytic antibodies. The establishment of a high-throughput method for obtaining valuable candidate catalytic antibodies must be accelerated to achieve this objective. In this study, based on our concept that we can find antibody light chains with a high probability of success if they include a serine protease-like catalytic triad composed of Ser, His, and Asp on a variable region of the antibody structure, we amplified and cloned DNAs encoding human antibody light chains from germline genes of subgroup II by seminested PCR using two primer sets designed for this purpose. Seven DNA fragments encoding light chains in 17 clones were derived from germline gene A18b, 6 DNA fragments from A3/A19, 2 DNA fragments from A17, and a clone DNA fragment from A5 and O11/O1. All light chains expressed in Escherichia coli and highly purified under nondenaturing conditions exhibited amidolytic activity against synthetic peptides. Some of the light chains exhibited unique features that suppressed the infectious activity of the rabies virus. Furthermore, the survival rate of mice in which a lethal level of the rabies virus was coinoculated directly into the brain with light chain 18 was significantly improved. In the case of humans, these results demonstrate that high-throughput selection of light chains possessing catalytic functions and specificity for a target molecule can be attained from a light-chain DNA library amplified from germline genes belonging to subgroup II.

Large-volume protein crystals are a prerequisite for neutron diffraction studies and their production represents a bottleneck in obtaining neutron structures. Many protein crystals that permit the collection of high-resolution X-ray diffraction data are inappropriate for neutron diffraction owing to a plate-type morphology that limits the crystal volume. Human fibroblast growth factor 1 crystallizes in a plate morphology that yields atomic resolution X-ray diffraction data but has insufficient volume for neutron diffraction. The thin physical dimension has been identified as corresponding to the b cell edge and the X-ray structure identified a solvent-mediated crystal contact adjacent to position Glu81 that was hypothesized to limit efficient crystal growth in this dimension. In this report, a series of mutations at this crystal contact designed to both reduce side-chain entropy and replace the solvent-mediated interface with direct side-chain contacts are reported. The results suggest that improved crystal growth is achieved upon the introduction of direct crystal contacts, while little improvement is observed with side-chain entropy-reducing mutations alone.

Both interleukin-4 (IL-4) and IL-13 can bind to the shared receptor composed of the IL-4 receptor alpha chain and the IL-13 receptor alpha1 chain (IL-13Ralpha1); however, the mechanisms by which these ligands bind to the receptor chains are different, enabling the principal functions of these ligands to be different. We have previously shown that the N-terminal Ig-like domain in IL-13Ralpha1, called the D1 domain, is the specific and critical binding unit for IL-13. However, it has still remained obscure which amino acid has specific binding capacity to IL-13 and why the D1 domain acts as the binding site for IL-13, but not IL-4. To address these questions, in this study we performed mutational analyses for the D1 domain, combining the structural data to identify the amino acids critical for binding to IL-13. Mutations of Lys-76, Lys-77, or Ile-78 in c' strand in which the crystal structure showed interaction with IL-13, and those of Trp-65 and Ala-79 adjacent to the interacting site, resulted in significant impairment of IL-13 binding, demonstrating that these amino acids generate the binding site. Furthermore, mutations of Val-35, Leu-38, or Val-42 at the N-terminal beta-strand also resulted in loss of IL-13 binding, probably from decreased structural stability. None of the mutations employed here affected IL-4 binding. These results demonstrate that the D1 domain of IL-13Ralpha1 acts as an affinity converter, through direct cytokine interactions, that allows the shared receptor to respond differentially to IL-4 and IL-13.

HIV-1 protease is a dimeric aspartic protease that plays an essential role in viral replication. To further understand the catalytic mechanism and inhibitor recognition of HIV-1 protease, we need to determine the locations of key hydrogen atoms in the catalytic aspartates Asp-25 and Asp-125. The structure of HIV-1 protease in complex with transition-state analog KNI-272 was determined by combined neutron crystallography at 1.9-A resolution and X-ray crystallography at 1.4-A resolution. The resulting structural data show that the catalytic residue Asp-25 is protonated and that Asp-125 (the catalytic residue from the corresponding diad-related molecule) is deprotonated. The proton on Asp-25 makes a hydrogen bond with the carbonyl group of the allophenylnorstatine (Apns) group in KNI-272. The deprotonated Asp-125 bonds to the hydroxyl proton of Apns. The results provide direct experimental evidence for proposed aspects of the catalytic mechanism of HIV-1 protease and can therefore contribute substantially to the development of specific inhibitors for therapeutic application.

The receptor binding to interleukin (IL)-13 is composed of the IL-13 receptor alpha1 chain (IL-13Ralpha1) and the IL-4 receptor alpha chain (IL-4Ralpha). In order to investigate the interaction of IL-13 with IL-13Ralpha1 and IL-4Ralpha, the DNA fragments coding the extracellular regions of human IL-13Ralpha1 and the IL-4Ralpha (containing a cytokine receptor homologous region) were fused with mouse Fc and expressed by a silkworm-baculovirus system. The expressed receptors were successfully purified by affinity chromatography using protein A, and the Fc region was removed by thrombin digestion. After further purification with anion-exchange chromatography, these receptors were used to investigate the ligand-receptor interaction. Size exclusion chromatography and SPR analysis revealed that mixture of IL-13 and IL-13Ralpha1 showed predominant affinity to IL-4Ralpha, although neither detectable affinity of IL-13 nor IL-13Ralpha1 was observed against IL-4Ralpha. Combining these data with the moderate affinity of IL-13 to IL-13Ralpha1, this indicates that IL-13 first binds to IL-13Ralpha1 and recruits consequently to IL-4R.

An attempt has been made to improve a crystal contact of human acidic fibroblast growth factor (haFGF; 140 amino acids) to control the crystal growth, because haFGF crystallizes only as a thin-plate form, yielding crystals suitable for X-ray but not neutron diffraction. X-ray crystal analysis of haFGF showed that the Glu81 side chain, located at a crystal contact between haFGF molecules, is in close proximity with an identical residue related by crystallographic symmetry, suggesting that charge repulsion may disrupt suitable crystal-packing interactions. To investigate whether the Glu residue affects the crystal-packing interactions, haFGF mutants in which Glu81 was replaced by Ala, Val, Leu, Ser and Thr were constructed. Although crystals of the Ala and Leu mutants were grown as a thin-plate form by the same precipitant (formate) as the wild type, crystals of the Ser and Thr mutants were grown with increased thickness, yielding a larger overall crystal volume. X-ray structural analysis of the Ser mutant determined at 1.35 A resolution revealed that the hydroxy groups of Ser are linked by hydrogen bonds mediated by the formate used as a precipitant. This approach to engineering crystal contacts may contribute to the development of large protein crystals for neutron crystallography.

A protein crystal lattice consists of surface contact regions, where the interactions of specific groups play a key role in stabilizing the regular arrangement of the protein molecules. In an attempt to control protein incorporation in a crystal lattice, a leucine zipper-like hydrophobic interface (comprising four leucine residues) was introduced into a helical region (helix 2) of the human pancreatic ribonuclease 1 (RNase 1) that was predicted to form a suitable crystallization interface. Although crystallization of wild-type RNase 1 has not yet been reported, the RNase 1 mutant having four leucines (4L-RNase 1) was successfully crystallized under several different conditions. The crystal structures were subsequently determined by X-ray crystallography by molecular replacement using the structure of bovine RNase A. The overall structure of 4L-RNase 1 is quite similar to that of the bovine RNase A, and the introduced leucine residues formed the designed crystal interface. To characterize the role of the introduced leucine residues in crystallization of RNase 1 further, the number of leucines was reduced to three or two (3L- and 2L-RNase 1, respectively). Both mutants crystallized and a similar hydrophobic interface as in 4L-RNase 1 was observed. A related approach to engineer crystal contacts at helix 3 of RNase 1 (N4L-RNase 1) was also evaluated. N4L-RNase 1 also successfully crystallized and formed the expected hydrophobic packing interface. These results suggest that appropriate introduction of a leucine zipper-like hydrophobic interface can promote intermolecular symmetry for more efficient protein crystallization in crystal lattice engineering efforts.

A crystal structure of the signaling complex between human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (GCSF) and a ligand binding region of GCSF receptor (GCSF-R), has been determined to 2.8 A resolution. The GCSF:GCSF-R complex formed a 2:2 stoichiometry by means of a cross-over interaction between the Ig-like domains of GCSF-R and GCSF. The conformation of the complex is quite different from that between human GCSF and the cytokine receptor homologous domain of mouse GCSF-R, but similar to that of the IL-6/gp130 signaling complex. The Ig-like domain cross-over structure necessary for GCSF-R activation is consistent with previously reported thermodynamic and mutational analyses.

The granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (GCSF) receptor receives signals for regulating the maturation, proliferation and differentiation of the precursor cells of neutrophilic granulocytes. The signalling complex composed of two GCSFs (GCSF, 19 kDa) and two GCSF receptors (GCSFR, 34 kDa) consisting of an Ig-like domain and a cytokine-receptor homologous (CRH) domain was crystallized. A crystal of the complex was grown in 1.0 M sodium formate and 0.1 M sodium acetate pH 4.6 and belongs to space group P4(1)2(1)2 (or its enantiomorph P4(3)2(1)2), with unit-cell parameters a = b = 110.1, c = 331.8 A. Unfortunately, this crystal form did not diffract beyond 5 A resolution. Since the heterogeneity of GCSF receptor appeared to prevent the growth of good-quality crystals, the GCSF receptor was fractionated by anion-exchange chromatography. Crystals of the GCSF-fractionated GCSF receptor complex were grown as a new crystal form in 0.2 M ammonium phosphate. This new crystal form diffracted to beyond 3.0 A resolution and belonged to space group P3(1)21 (or its enantiomorph P3(2)21), with unit-cell parameters a = b = 134.8, c = 105.7 A.

Interleukin-13 (IL-13) possesses two types of receptor: the heterodimer, composed of the IL-13Ralpha1 chain (IL-13Ralpha1) and the IL-4Ralpha chain (IL-4Ralpha), transducing the IL-13 signals; and the IL-13Ralpha2 chain (IL-13Ralpha2), acting as a nonsignaling "decoy" receptor. Extracellular portions of both IL-13Ralpha1 and IL-13Ralpha2 are composed of three fibronectin type III domains, D1, D2, and D3, of which the last two comprise the cytokine receptor homology modules (CRHs), a common structure of the class I cytokine receptor superfamily. Thus far, there has been no information about the critical amino acids of the CRHs or the role of the D1 domains of IL-13Ralpha1 and IL-13Ralpha2 in binding to IL-13. In this study, we first built the homology modeling of the IL-13.hIL-13 receptor complexes and then predicted the amino acids involved in binding to IL-13. By incorporating mutations into these amino acids, we identified Tyr-207, Asp-271, Tyr-315, and Asp-318 in the CRH of human IL-13Ralpha2, and Leu-319 and Tyr-321 in the CRH of human IL-13Ralpha1, as critical residues for binding to IL-13. Tyr-315 in IL-13Ralpha2 and Leu-319 in IL-13Ralpha1 are positionally conserved hydrophobic amino acid residues. Furthermore, by using D1 domain-deleted mutants, we found that the D1 domain is needed for the expression of IL-13Ralpha2, but not IL-13Ralpha1, and that the D1 domain of IL-13Ralpha1 is important for binding to IL-13, but not to IL-4. These results provide the basis for a precise understanding of the interaction between IL-13 and its receptors.

The granulocyte colony-stimulating factor receptor (GCSFR), containing the Ig-like domain (Ig) and cytokine receptor homologous region (CRH), was prepared as a preformed dimer (Ig-CRH-Fc)(2) after fusion to the mouse Fc region via an eight-residue linker (approximately 55 A). Monomer Ig-CRH was also prepared after the Fc region was removed from (Ig-CRH-Fc)(2). GCSF binding to Ig-CRH and (Ig-CRH-Fc)(2) was investigated using light scattering and isothermal titration calorimetry. The average molecular mass determined by light scattering showed that both Ig-CRH and (Ig-CRH-Fc)(2) formed a 2:2 dimer with GCSF. Moreover, isothermal titration calorimetry showed that the thermodynamic parameters upon binding of GCSF to Ig-CRH and (Ig-CRH-Fc)(2) were comparable, suggesting a similar binding stoichiometry and interface [including similar buried surface area (5700-6000 A(2))] despite the presence of the eight-residue linker. The buried surface area is much larger than that calculated from our previous report of the crystal structure of the GCSF-CRH complex [Aritomi, M., et al. (1999) Nature 401, 713-717], suggesting a substantial contribution of the Ig domain to GCSF binding. The data also indicate that the distance (55 A) between two CRH domains in the 2:2 complex is much shorter than in our previous model (approximately 90 A) predicted from the same crystal structure of the GCSF-CRH complex.

Genomic clones encoding the mature pokeweed antiviral protein with or without C-terminal extrapeptide (PAPMC and PAPM), which have been reported to be highly toxic to E. coli cells, were inserted into the expression vector pMAL-p2. The recombinant PAPs (rPAPMC and rPAPM) were successfully expressed in E. coli at 25 degrees C, being exported to the periplasm as soluble fusions with maltose-binding protein (MBP). The rPAPs were cleaved from MBP by treatment with factor Xa and subsequently purified with final yields of 4.0 mg/liter (rPAPMC) and 5.5 mg/liter (rPAPM). rPAPM was resistant to protease digestion, but the C-terminal extrapeptide appeared to be susceptible and was partially digested by some protease in E. coli. Both rPAPMC and rPAPM were as active as the native PAPM from pokeweed leaves in depurinating rat liver and E. coli ribosomes, while the activities of rPAPMC on both ribosomes were decreased at least 60-fold by fusion with MBP.

Ricin A-chain, an N-glycosidase that attacks 28S rRNA at a highly conserved adenine residue, has a unique tryptophan (Trp-211) in the putative active site cleft. Fluorescence spectroscopy revealed that specific binding of adenine to the A-chain caused a large enhancement of Trp-211 fluorescence (70%) and a concomitant red shift of the emission spectrum (8 nm). A Scatchard plot of the fluorescence enhancement data was not linear, indicating that the environment of Trp-211 was altered by heterogeneous binding of adenines. These results, taken together with the protective effect of adenine on the ribosome-inactivation by ricin A-chain, suggest that at least two adenines bind to the active site cleft.