Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) protein analysis by optimised two-dimensional electrophoretic methods

Interaction of HLA-DR with actin microfilaments

Capping of HLA-DR on the surface of a human lymphoblastoid cell line (RAJI) and a transfectant human fibroblast cell line (M1DR1) was studied by confocal microscopy. Capping was induced at 22 degrees C after treating cells with an HLA-DR specific monoclonal antibody, L243, followed by a secondary antibody conjugated with FITC. Cytoskeletal actin filaments (F-actin) accumulated under the caps were detected by rhodamine-phalloidin fluorescence. Two processes appear to take place: in the round lymphoblastoid cells, actin, initially distributed uniformly at the cell periphery, redistributes and becomes concentrated underneath HLA-DR patches or caps. In the non-round, substrate-attached fibroblasts, actin was organized in tightly packed filaments along the plasma membrane. It was observed that crosslinked HLA-DR receptors were associated with these filaments and were dragged toward the perinuclear area of the cells, where they coalesce to form a cap. The cytoskeleton-disrupting drugs that inhibit actin polymerisation were used to investigate the mechanism of capping of HLA-DR molecules. Sodium nitroprusside, a nitric oxide releasing agent, cytochalasin D both inhibited the percentage of capping in a dose-dependent manner. These data suggest that on antigen presenting cells, such as B cells and fibroblasts, actin microfilaments acts as a regulator of the movement and capping of HLA-DR receptors.

Human major histocompatibility molecules have the intrinsic ability to form homotypic associations

We have investigated the homotypic associations of major histocompatibilty, class II and class I molecules using immunoprecipitation from detergent solubilised cell extracts. A 120-kDa structure corresponding to an HLA-DR dimer of dimers was immunoprecipitated by the HLA-DR specific mAb L243 from both biotinylated cell-surface and metabolically labeled B cells and transfectant fibroblasts. The thermostability of this structure in SDS was examined. It was detected at 4 degrees C, 22 degrees C, and 37 degrees C, but not at 50 degrees C or 100 degrees C. Experiments performed with L243 Fab fragments and with purified HLA-DR molecules, indicated the presence of HLA-DR dimers of dimers and single heterodimers on B cells. HLA-DQ was also found to form SDS-stable dimers of dimers and single heterodimers on the cell surface of B cells, demonstrating that HLA class II isotypes, other than HLA-DR, also form homotypic associations. Similar experiments performed with HLA class I specific mAb, W632, revealed the existence of a 90 kDa and a 135-kDa structure corresponding to a MHC class I multimers. Under the same conditions, non-MHC molecules such as CD14 were found not to self-associate. These findings indicate that major histocompatibility molecules have the intrinsic ability to form homotypic associations at the cell surface of antigen presenting cells.

Unique biochemical properties of human leukocyte antigen-E allow for a highly specific function in immune recognition

PROBLEM

Does a correlation exist between the expression of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class Ia and HLA-E and what is its biological significance?

METHOD OF STUDY

HLA-E transcripts were detected by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Metabolically labeled HLA-E heavy chains were immunoprecipited and analyzed by one-dimensional isoelectric focusing. Mouse RMA-S cells defective with regard to transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP) function were transfected with HLA-E and human beta 2-microglobulin to investigate TAP dependence of the cell-surface expression of HLA-E.

RESULTS

HLA-E is transcribed regardless of the down-regulation of polymorphic HLA class Ia expression. HLA-E is transported to the cell surface in the absence of TAP-controlled peptide loading. In human cells, the amount of HLA-E protein is very low regardless of the presence of correct peptide ligands.

CONCLUSIONS

HLA-E regulates immune functions in cells that have down-regulated the expression of polymorphic HLA-class Ia molecules, either by preventing harmful natural killer cells from attacking targets that have physiologically decreased HLA-class Ia expression or by activating effector cells against virus-infected and tumor cells with impaired HLA-class Ia expression.

Interactions of macromolecules with the mammalian cell surface

The characterisation of fluoresceinphosphatidylethanolamine (FPE) as a real-time indicator of the electrostatic nature of the cell membrane surface is described. The conditions appropriate for the labelling of cell membranes and the implementation of FPE as a tool to monitor the interactions of various proteins and peptides with membranes are outlined. Some complications attributed to the erythrocyte glycocalyx are examined. In addition it is shown using neuraminidase as an example, that some types of enzyme-catalysed reactions on the cell surface may be monitored in real time. It is also shown that information concerning the binding of several proteins such as serum albumin and monoclonal antibodies are accessible with this technique. The albumin in particular is shown to exhibit a saturation of binding, the analysis of which indicates that the dissociation constant for erythrocytes was determined to be 8 microM and for lymphocytes to be almost 3 microM. On the basis of this comparison together with artificial membranes, the membrane protein components of the lymphocyte surface are implicated in the binding of albumin or the erythrocyte membrane proteins reduce the affinity of the cell surface for albumin.

Biochemical characterization by two-dimensional electrophoresis of lymphocyte antigens involved in cell-to-cell or cell-to-matrix adhesion

We have exemplified three cases of application of two-dimensional (2-D) electrophoresis to the characterization of lymphocyte membrane antigens. We could show that the proteins recognized by two monoclonal antibodies, LAK1 and LAK2, on the surface of large granular cells mediating natural- and lymphokine-activated killing are distinct molecules. LAK1 is expressed without any structural modification, even on the surface of endothelial cells. Another membrane antigen, recognized by the monoclonal antibody FB12, was shown to have the overall structure of the integrins of the very late activation (VLA) class, being composed of an alpha and of a beta subunit. The latter corresponded to the beta 1 type as already characterized for other VLAs, whereas the alpha chain was different from alpha 1 through alpha 6. The 2-D protocol using immobilized pH gradients for the first dimension allows reliable assessment of the identity of individual components because of the reproducibility of the absolute coordinates for spot position.

Molecular profiles of the cell membrane bound and cytoplasmic forms of the human MHC class-II associated invariant polypeptides

Several sub-types of histocompatibility class-II molecules are known to exist, including DR, DQ and DP, each subset organized in alpha and beta heterodimers. These molecules play a central role in immunorecognition via direct noncovalent binding of degraded nonself immunogenic peptides followed by ligand-interaction with T cells. In the cytoplasm the class-II alpha and beta chains associate, in addition with a third backbone molecule known as the invariant chain. In this study we show that all class-II subsets associate with the invariant chain probably from the same pool and that a subset of invariant chain is expressed as a cell surface subunit. This sub-unit, whose function is still unknown, was detected by flow-cytometry and by two-dimensional gel analysis followed by antibody-mediated immunoprecipitations.