Glycosylation of membrane cofactor protein (CD46) in human trophoblast, kidney and platelets

Glycan evolution in response to collaboration, conflict, and constraint

Glycans, oligo- and polysaccharides secreted or attached to proteins and lipids, cover the surfaces of all cells and have a regulatory capacity and structural diversity beyond any other class of biological molecule. Glycans may have evolved these properties because they mediate cellular interactions and often face pressure to evolve new functions rapidly. We approach this idea two ways. First, we discuss evolutionary innovation. Glycan synthesis, regulation, and mode of chemical interaction influence the spectrum of new forms presented to evolution. Second, we describe the evolutionary conflicts that arise when alleles and individuals interact. Glycan regulation and diversity are integral to these biological negotiations. Glycans are tasked with such an amazing diversity of functions that no study of cellular interaction can begin without considering them. We propose that glycans predominate the cell surface because their physical and chemical properties allow the rapid innovation required of molecules on the frontlines of evolutionary conflict.

Detection of measles virus by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction in a placenta

INTRODUCTION

Measles virus (MV) during pregnancy is associated with maternal morbidity and mortality and can put the fetus and newborn at risk of a wide range of complications. Reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for detecting MV in the placenta has not been reported.

CASE

A case of RT-PCR detection of MV in the placenta of a 38-year-old woman who presented with premature rupture of membranes at 16 weeks' gestation is presented.

Measles virus infection in the placenta of monozygotic twins

We report a case of monozygotic twins whose mother was infected with measles at 19 weeks' gestation. One of the twins died in utero at 32 weeks' gestation. The placenta of the stillbirth showed massive fibrin deposition, and some residual trophoblasts contained many inclusion bodies positive for measles virus antigen. Fetal organs and cells other than a few splenic lymphocytes showed no evidence of measles virus infection. The placenta of the surviving infant showed focal intervillous fibrin deposits, and only a few syncytiotrophoblasts were positive for measles virus antigen. At present, 7 months after the delivery, the surviving infant has not developed any sign of measles virus infection. Postpartum course of the mother has been uneventful, although high titers of serum anti-measles virus IgM persisted for 6 months after delivery. This case is informative in the following respects: the villous trophoblasts had diagnostic inclusion bodies and ultrastructural evidence of measles virus infection, the degree of viral involvement within the monochorionic placenta was uneven, both of the twins were virtually free from measles virus infection despite the marked involvement of the placenta, and measles virus infection had persisted in the monochorionic placenta for approximately 13 weeks.

A novel isoform of human membrane cofactor protein (CD46) mRNA generated by intron retention

The reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with primers specific for each of the 14 exons of the human complement regulatory protein membrane cofactor protein (MCP;CD46) has been utilized to determine MCP mRNA transcript expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). An additional transcript of a larger size than predicted was consistently detected in reactions with a sense primer for exon 7, that encodes the first alternatively spliced serine-threonine-rich region (ST-A), together with an antisense exon 12 primer, RT-PCR with primers for other exons both 5' and 3' of exon 7 further showed that these MCP transcripts contain additional sequences immediately both 5' and 3' to the exon 7-encoded sequence. Comparison of genomic DNA with cDNA by PCR, in combination with sequence analysis, demonstrated the presence of the complete invariant sequences of both introns adjacent to exon 7, i.e. intron 6 (411 bp) and intron 7 (127 bp). RT-PCR using primers specific for the intron 6 sequence, together with Southern and Northern blotting using an intron 6-specific probe, confirmed retention of this intron within a novel 4.8-kb mRNA transcript in human PBMC. Due to the presence of a stop codon within intron 6, translation would result in a novel truncated MCP isoform (MCPi) containing the four invariant short consensus repeat (SCR) regions and a unique C-terminal 39 amino acid transmembrane and cytoplasmic tail region that may promote endoplasmic reticulum retention.

High expression of membrane cofactor protein of complement (CD46) in human leukaemia cell lines: implication of an alternatively spliced form containing the STA domain in CD46 up-regulation

Human membrane cofactor protein (MCP, CD46) is a receptor for the measles virus and serves as a complement regulator which protects host cells from autologous complement attack. MCP is highly polymorphic due to a variety of mRNA splice products. The levels of MCP expression on T and myeloid cell lines are usually two-eightfold higher than those on their normal counterparts, whereas Burkitt's lymphoma B cell lines express less MCP than B cell lineages carrying no EB virus. The molecule has a Ser/Thr-rich (ST) domain adjacent to the functional domain, namely short consensus repeats (SCR). The ST domain and a cytoplasmic tail (CYT) contribute to the MCP polymorphism. The ST domain is encoded by three exons (A, B and C) and major ST isoforms are STABC, STBC and STC. The authors investigated the relationship between the expression levels and isoform usage of MCP by flow cytometry using specific antibodies against STA and STC, by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with size markers for each splice variant, and by RT-PCR/Southern blotting using a specific probe for STA. The results were (1) the profiles of mean shifts of myeloid and T cell lines were STC < STA on flow cytometry while those of B cell lines and normal blood cells were STA < STC; (2) all cell lines tested by RT-PCR expressed the messages for the isoforms STBC/CYT1, STC/CYT1, STBC/CYT2, and STC/CYT2. The band for STABC/CYT2 overlapped that for STC/CYT1, and the band for STABC/CYT1 was marginal in all cell lines examined; (3) semi-quantitative analysis of the STABC isoforms by Southern blotting indicated the presence of high levels of the STABC messages in myeloid and T-cell lines in comparison with B lymphoid cells and normal leucocytes. Thus, the quantity of MCP expressed parallels the STABC message level, which is up-regulated in T and myeloid leukaemia cell lines.

Human lymphocytes are more susceptible to measles virus than granulocytes, which is attributable to the phenotypic differences of their membrane cofactor protein (CD46)

Membrane cofactor protein (MCP, CD46) of the complement system is a measles virus (MV) receptor. Human lymphocytes express a heavily glycosylated (H) and a lightly glycosylated (L) form of MCP, which confers a two-band profile on SDS-PAGE the ratio of which is controlled genetically and organ-specifically. In contrast, granulocytes express a single heavily glycosylated form regardless of lymphocyte MCP phenotype. We investigated susceptibility to MV of granulocytes and lymphocytes from individuals with different lymphocyte MCP phenotypes. In any individual, granulocytes were > 10-fold less susceptible to MV than lymphocytes, and the lymphocytes with predominant H form were generally less susceptible to those with an increasing amount of L form. Thus, lymphocytes always exhibit high susceptibility to MV compared to granulocytes in all individuals. This finding may explain the lymphopenia and immunosuppression observed secondary to MV infection.

Diversity of sites for measles virus binding and for inactivation of complement C3b and C4b on membrane cofactor protein CD46

The complement system membrane cofactor protein (MCP) CD46 serves as a C3b/C4b inactivating factor for the protection of host cells from autologous complement attack and as a receptor for measles virus (MV). MCP consists of four short consensus repeats (SCR) which are the predominant extracellular structural motif. In the present study, we determined which of the four SCR of MCP contribute to its function using Chinese hamster ovary cell clones expressing each SCR deletion mutants. The results were as follows: 1) SCR1 and SCR2 are mainly involved in MV binding and infection; 2) SCR2, SCR3, and SCR4 contribute to protect Chinese hamster ovary cells from human alternative complement pathway-mediated cytolysis; and 3) SCR2 and SCR3 are essential for protection of host cells from the classical complement pathway. These results on cell protective activity of the mutants against the human classical and the alternative complement pathways were compatible with factor I-mediated inactivation profiles of C4b and C3b, respectively, in the fluid-phase assay using solubilized mutants and factor I; the results were mostly consistent with those reported by Adams et al. (Adams, E. M., Brown, M. C., Nunge, M., Krych, M., and Atkinson, J. P. (1991) J. Immunol. 147, 3005-3011). SCR2 and SCR3 were required for C3b and C4b inactivation, and SCR4-deleted MCP showed weak cofactor activity for C4b cleavage but virtually no cofactor activity for C3b cleavage. The functional domains of MCP for the three natural ligands C3b, C4b, and MV, therefore, map to different, although partly overlapping, SCR domains.

Binding of measles virus to membrane cofactor protein (CD46): importance of disulfide bonds and N-glycans for the receptor function

Two cellular proteins, membrane cofactor protein (MCP) and moesin, were reported recently to be functionally associated with the initiation of a measles virus infection. We have analyzed the interaction of measles virus with cell surface proteins, using an overlay binding assay with cellular proteins immobilized on nitrocellulose. Among surface-biotinylated proteins from a human rectal tumor cell line (HRT), measles virus was able to bind only to a 67-kDa protein that was identified as MCP. The virus recognized different isoforms of MCP expressed from human (HRT and HeLa) and simian (Vero) cell lines. The binding of measles virus to MCP was abolished after cleavage of the disulfide bonds by reducing agents as well as after enzymatic release of N-linked oligosaccharides. By contrast, removal of sialic acid or O-linked oligosaccharides did not affect the recognition of MCP measles virus. These data indicate that the receptor determinant of MCP is dependent on a conformation of the protein that is maintained by disulfide bonds and N-glycans present in the complement binding domains. Our results are consistent with a role of MCP as primary attachment site for measles virus in the initial stage of an infection. The functional relationship between MCP and moesin in a measles virus infection is discussed.

Characterization of cofactor activity for factor I: cleavage of complement C4 in human syncytiotrophoblast microvilli

To coexist with complement, human tissues express membrane-integrated regulatory proteins that inhibit the activity of autologous complement on cell surfaces. Certain of these complement regulatory proteins act as obligatory cofactors for proteolytic inactivation of activated C4(C4b) by factor I. Extraembryonic tissues and in particular trophoblasts constitute an interface at risk from maternal complement during pregnancy. The present study examined syncytiotrophoblast plasma membrane (STM) cofactor activity for cleavage of immobilized methylamine-treated complement component C4(C4ma), a C4b analog by factor I. Membrane cofactor protein (MCP or CD46) provided most of the cofactor activity in STM preparations. Minor cofactor activity was derived from C4 binding protein that was firmly bound to STM. Cofactor activity for cleavage of C4ma at its two sites for factor I was enhanced at higher concentrations of STM and at lower concentrations cleavage at a C terminal site predominated. Soluble cofactor activity was present in STM preparations and was provided by 65 KDa, 55 KDa and 50 KDa soluble species of MCP that lacked amphiphilic properties. These results are consistent with a major role for MCP in regulation of C4 activity on the maternal-facing surfaces of extraembryonic tissues during human development. Soluble MCP may provide additional fluid phase complement regulatory activity in the maternotrophoblastic zone.