Direct quantification of the modulation of interaction between cell- or surface-bound LFA-1 and ICAM-1

May the force be with your (immune) cells: an introduction to traction force microscopy in Immunology

For more than a couple of decades now, "force" has been recognized as an important physical parameter that cells employ to adapt to their microenvironment. Whether it is externally applied, or internally generated, cells use force to modulate their various actions, from adhesion and migration to differentiation and immune function. T lymphocytes use such mechano-sensitivity to decipher signals when recognizing cognate antigens presented on the surface of antigen presenting cells (APCs), a critical process in the adaptive immune response. As such, many techniques have been developed and used to measure the forces felt/exerted by these small, solitary and extremely reactive cells to decipher their influence on diverse T cell functions, primarily activation. Here, we focus on traction force microscopy (TFM), in which a deformable substrate, coated with the appropriate molecules, acts as a force sensor on the cellular scale. This technique has recently become a center of interest for many groups in the "ImmunoBiophysics" community and, as a consequence, has been subjected to refinements for its application to immune cells. Here, we present an overview of TFM, the precautions and pitfalls, and the most recent developments in the context of T cell immunology.

Kinetics and interaction studies of anti-tetraspanin antibodies and ICAM-1 with extracellular vesicle subpopulations using continuous flow quartz crystal microbalance biosensor

Continuous flow quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) was utilized to study binding kinetics between EV subpopulations (exomere- and exosome-sized EVs) and four affinity ligands: monoclonal antibodies against tetraspanins (anti-CD9, anti-CD63, and anti-CD81) and recombinant intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) or CD54 protein). High purity CD9⁺, CD63⁺, and CD81⁺ EV subpopulations of <50 nm exomeres and 50-80 nm exosomes were isolated and fractionated using our recently developed on-line coupled immunoaffinity chromatography - asymmetric flow field-flow fractionation system. Adaptive Interaction Distribution Algorithm (AIDA), specifically designed for the analysis of complex biological interactions, was used with a four-step procedure for reliable estimation of the degree of heterogeneity in rate constant distributions. Interactions between exomere-sized EVs and anti-tetraspanin antibodies demonstrated two interaction sites with comparable binding kinetics and estimated dissociation constants K_d ranging from nM to fM. Exomeres exhibited slightly higher affinity compared to exosomes. The highest affinity with anti-tetraspanin antibodies was achieved with CD63⁺ EVs. The interaction of EV subpopulations with ICAM-1 involved in cell internalization of EVs was also investigated. EV - ICAM-1 interaction was also of high affinity (nM to pM range) with overall lower affinity compared to the interactions of anti-tetraspanin antibodies and EVs. Our findings proved that QCM is a valuable label-free tool for kinetic studies with limited sample concentration, and that advanced algorithms, such as AIDA, are crucial for proper determination of kinetic heterogeneity. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first kinetic study on the interaction between plasma-derived EV subpopulations and anti-tetraspanin antibodies and ICAM-1.

Biophysical description of multiple events contributing blood leukocyte arrest on endothelium

Blood leukocytes have a remarkable capacity to bind to and stop on specific blood vessel areas. Many studies have disclosed a key role of integrin structural changes following the interaction of rolling leukocytes with surface-bound chemoattractants. However, the functional significance of structural data and mechanisms of cell arrest are incompletely understood. Recent experiments revealed the unexpected complexity of several key steps of cell-surface interaction: (i) ligand-receptor binding requires a minimum amount of time to proceed and this is influenced by forces. (ii) Also, molecular interactions at interfaces are not fully accounted for by the interaction properties of soluble molecules. (iii) Cell arrest depends on nanoscale topography and mechanical properties of the cell membrane, and these properties are highly dynamic. Here, we summarize these results and we discuss their relevance to recent functional studies of integrin-receptor association in cells from a patient with type III leukocyte adhesion deficiency. It is concluded that an accurate understanding of all physical events listed in this review is needed to unravel the precise role of the multiple molecules and biochemical pathway involved in arrest triggering.

Fibrin serves as a divalent ligand that regulates neutrophil-mediated melanoma cells adhesion to endothelium under shear conditions

Elevated soluble fibrin (sFn) levels are characteristic of melanoma hematogeneous dissemination, where tumor cells interact intimately with host cells. Melanoma adhesion to the blood vessel wall is promoted by immune cell arrests and tumor-derived thrombin, a serine protease that converts soluble fibrinogen (sFg) into sFn. However, the molecular requirement for sFn-mediated melanoma-polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) and melanoma-endothelial interactions under physiological flow conditions remain elusive. To understand this process, we studied the relative binding capacities of sFg and sFn receptors e.g., α(v)β(3) integrin and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expressed on melanoma cells, ICAM-1 on endothelial cells (EC), and CD11b/CD18 (Mac-1) on PMNs. Using a parallel-plate flow chamber, highly metastatic melanoma cells (1205Lu and A375M) and human PMNs were perfused over an EC monolayer expressing ICAM-1 in the presence of sFg or sFn. It was found that both the frequency and lifetime of direct melanoma adhesion or PMN-facilitated melanoma adhesion to the EC in a shear flow were increased by the presence of sFn in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, sFn fragment D and plasmin-treated sFn failed to increase melanoma adhesion, implying that sFn-bridged cell adhesion requires dimer-mediated receptor-receptor cross-linking. Finally, analysis of the respective kinetics of sFn binding to Mac-1, ICAM-1, and α(v)β(3) by single bond cell tethering assays suggested that ICAM-1 and α(v)β(3) are responsible for initial capture and firm adhesion of melanoma cells. These results provide evidence that sFn enhances melanoma adhesion directly to ICAM-1 on the EC, while prolonged shear-resistant melanoma adhesion requires interactions with PMNs.

DISSECTING INDIVIDUAL LIGAND–RECEPTOR BONDS WITH A LAMINAR FLOW CHAMBER

The most important function of proteins may well be to bind to other biomolecules. It has long been felt that kinetic rates of bond formation and dissociation between soluble receptors and ligands might account for most features of the binding process. Only theoretical considerations allowed to predict the behaviour of surface-attached receptors from the properties of soluble forms. During the last decade, experimental progress essentially based on flow chambers, atomic force microscopes or biomembrane force probes allowed direct analysis of biomolecule interaction at the single bond level and gave new insight into previously ignored features such as bond mechanical properties or energy landscapes. The aim of this review is (i) to describe the main advances brought by laminar flow chambers, including information on bond response to forces, multiplicity of binding states, kinetics of bond formation between attached structures, effect of molecular environment on receptor efficiency and behaviour of multivalent attachment, (ii) to compare results obtain by this and other techniques on a few well defined molecular systems, and (iii) to discuss the limitations of the flow chamber method. It is concluded that a new framework may be needed to account for the effective behaviour of biomolecule association.

Determining beta2-integrin and intercellular adhesion molecule 1 binding kinetics in tumor cell adhesion to leukocytes and endothelial cells by a gas-driven micropipette assay

Interactions between polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) and tumor cells have been reported to facilitate the adhesion and subsequent extravasation of tumor cells through the endothelium under blood flow, both of which are mediated by binding β(2)-integrin to intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1). Here the adhesions between human WM9 metastatic melanoma cells, PMNs, and human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (HPMECs) were quantified by a gas-driven micropipette aspiration technique (GDMAT). Our data indicated that the cellular binding affinity of PMN-WM9 pair was 3.9-fold higher than that of the PMN-HPMEC pair. However, the effective binding affinities per molecular pair were comparable between the two cell pairs no matter whether WM9 cells or HPMECs were quiescent or cytokine-activated, indicating that the stronger adhesion between PMN-WM9 pair is mainly attributed to the high expression of ICAM-1 on WM9 cells. These results proposed an alternative mechanism, where WM9 melanoma cells adhere first with PMNs near vessel-wall regions and then bind to endothelial cells via PMNs under blood flow. In contrast, the adhesions between human MDA-MB-231 metastatic breast carcinoma cells and PMNs showed a comparable cellular binding affinity to PMN-HPMEC pair because the ICAM-1 expressions on MDA-MB-231 cells and HPMECs are similar. Furthermore, differences were observed in the intrinsic forward and reverse rates of the β(2)-integrin-ICAM-1 bond between PMN-TC and PMN-EC pairs. This GDMAT assay enables us to quantify the binding kinetics of cell adhesion molecules physiologically expressed on nucleated cells. The findings also further the understanding of leukocyte-facilitated tumor cell adhesion from the viewpoint of molecular binding kinetics.

Design, modeling and characterization of microfluidic architectures for high flow rate, small footprint microfluidic systems

We propose a strategy for optimizing distribution of flow in a microfluidic chamber for microreactor, lateral flow assay and immunocapture applications. It is aimed at maximizing flow throughput, while keeping footprint, cell thickness, and shear stress in the distribution channels at a minimum, and offering a uniform flow field along the whole analysis chamber. In order to minimize footprint, the traditional tree-like or "rhombus" design, in which distribution microchannels undergo a series of splittings into two subchannels with equal lengths and widths, was replaced by a design in which subchannel lengths are unequal, and widths are analytically adapted within the Hele-Shaw approximation, in order to keep the flow resistance uniform along all flow paths. The design was validated by hydrodynamic flow simulation using COMSOL finite element software. Simulations show that, if the channel is too narrow, the Hele-Shaw approximation loses accuracy, and the flow velocity in the chamber can fluctuate by up to 20%. We thus used COMSOL simulation to fine-tune the channel parameters, and obtained a fluctuation of flow velocity across the whole chamber below 10%. The design was then implemented into a PDMS device, and flow profiles were measured experimentally using particle tracking. Finally, we show that this system can be applied to cell sorting in self-assembling magnetic arrays, increasing flow throughput by a factor 100 as compared to earlier reported designs.

Long-lived, high-strength states of ICAM-1 bonds to beta2 integrin, I: lifetimes of bonds to recombinant alphaLbeta2 under force

Using single-molecule force spectroscopy to probe ICAM-1 interactions with recombinant alphaLbeta2 immobilized on microspheres and beta2 integrin on neutrophils, we quantified an impressive hierarchy of long-lived, high-strength states of the integrin bond, which start from basal levels with integrin activation in solutions of divalent cations and shift dramatically upward to hyperactivated states with cell signaling in leukocytes. Taking advantage of very rare events, we used repeated measurements of bond lifetimes under steady ramps of force to achieve a direct assay for the off-rates of ICAM-1 from beta2 integrin in each experiment. Of fundamental importance, the assay for off-rates does not depend on how the force is applied over time, and remains valid when the rates of dissociation change with different levels of force. In this first article, we present results from tests of a monovalent ICAM-1 probe against immobilized alphaLbeta2 in environments of divalent cations (Ca2+, Mg2+, and Mn2+) and demonstrate in detail the method for assay of off-rates. When extrapolated to zero force, the force-free values for the off-rates are found to be consistent with published solution-based assays of soluble ICAM-1 dissociation from immobilized LFA-1, i.e., approximately 10(-2)/s in Mg2+ or Mn2+ and approximately 1/s in Ca2+. At the same time, as expected for adhesive function, we find that the beta2 integrin bonds activated in Mn2+ or Mg2+ possess significant and persistent mechanical strength (e.g., >20 pN for >1 s) even when subjected to slow force ramps (<10 pN/s). As discussed in our companion article, using the same assay, we find that although the rates of dissociation for diICAM-1fc bonds to LFA-1 on neutrophils in Mn2+ are similar to those for mICAM-1 bonds to recombinant alphaLbeta2 on microspheres, they appear to represent a dimeric attachment to a pair of tightly clustered integrin heterodimers. The mechanical strengths and lifetimes of the dimeric interactions increase dramatically when the neutrophils are stimulated by the chemokine IL-8 or are bound with an allosterically activating (anti-CD18) monoclonal antibody, demonstrating the major impact of cell signaling on LFA-1.

Biomolecule association rates do not provide a complete description of bond formation

The efficiency of many cell-surface receptors is dependent on the rate of binding soluble or surface-attached ligands. Much effort was exerted to measure association rates between soluble molecules (three-dimensional k(on)) and, more recently, between surface-attached molecules (two-dimensional [2D] k(on)). According to a generally accepted assumption, the probability of bond formation between receptors and ligands is proportional to the first power of encounter duration. Here we provide new experimental evidence and review published data demonstrating that this simple assumption is not always warranted. Using as a model system the (2D) interaction between ICAM-1-coated surfaces and flowing microspheres coated with specific anti-ICAM-1 antibodies, we show that the probability of bond formation may scale as a power of encounter duration that is significantly higher than 1. Further, we show that experimental data may be accounted for by modeling ligand-receptor interaction as a displacement along a single path of a rough energy landscape. Under a wide range of conditions, the probability that an encounter of duration t resulted in bond formation varied as erfc[(t(0)/t)(1/2)], where t(0) was on the order of 10 ms. We conclude that the minimum contact time for bond formation may be a useful parameter to describe a ligand-receptor interaction, in addition to conventional association rates.

Demonstration of catch bonds between an integrin and its ligand

Binding of integrins to ligands provides anchorage and signals for the cell, making them prime candidates for mechanosensing molecules. How force regulates integrin-ligand dissociation is unclear. We used atomic force microscopy to measure the force-dependent lifetimes of single bonds between a fibronectin fragment and an integrin alpha(5)beta(1)-Fc fusion protein or membrane alpha(5)beta(1). Force prolonged bond lifetimes in the 10-30-pN range, a counterintuitive behavior called catch bonds. Changing cations from Ca(2+)/Mg(2+) to Mg(2+)/EGTA and to Mn(2+) caused longer lifetime in the same 10-30-pN catch bond region. A truncated alpha(5)beta(1) construct containing the headpiece but not the legs formed longer-lived catch bonds that were not affected by cation changes at forces <30 pN. Binding of monoclonal antibodies that induce the active conformation of the integrin headpiece shifted catch bonds to a lower force range. Thus, catch bond formation appears to involve force-assisted activation of the headpiece but not integrin extension.

Studying Molecular Interactions at the Single Bond Level with a Laminar Flow Chamber

During the last decade, many investigators developed new methodologies allowing to study ligand-receptor interactions with unprecedented accuracy, up to the single bond level. Reported results include information on bond mechanical properties, association behaviour of surface-attached molecules, and dissection of energy landscapes and reaction pathways. The purpose of the present review is to discuss the potential and limitations of laminar flow chambers operated at low shear rates. This includes a brief review of basic principles, practical tips and problems associated with data interpretation. It is concluded that flow chambers are ideally suited to analyze weak interactions between a number of biomolecules, including the main families of adhesion receptors such as selectins, integrins, cadherins and members of the immunoglobulin superfamily. The sensitivity of the method is limited by the quality of surfaces and efficiency of the studied ligand-receptor couple rather than the hardware. Analyzing interactions with a resolution of a piconewton and a few milliseconds shows that ligand-receptor complexes may experience a number of intermediate binding states, making it necessary to examine the definition of association and dissociation rates. Finally, it is emphasized that association rates measured on surface-bound molecules are highly dependent on parameters unrelated to binding surfaces.

What is the biological relevance of the specific bond properties revealed by single-molecule studies?

During the last decade, many authors took advantage of new methodologies based on atomic force microscopy (AFM), biomembrane force probes (BFPs), laminar flow chambers or optical traps to study at the single-molecule level the formation and dissociation of bonds between receptors and ligands attached to surfaces. Experiments provided a wealth of data revealing the complexity of bond response to mechanical forces and the dependence of bond rupture on bond history. These results supported the existence of multiple binding states and/or reaction pathways. Also, single bond studies allowed us to monitor attachments mediated by a few bonds. The aim of this review is to discuss the impact of this new information on our understanding of biological molecules and phenomena. The following points are discussed: (i) which parameters do we need to know in order to predict the behaviour of an encounter between receptors and ligands, (ii) which information is actually yielded by single-molecule studies and (iii) is it possible to relate this information to molecular structure?

The wild boar (Sus scrofa) lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (CD11a/CD18) receptor: cDNA sequencing, structure analysis and comparison with homologues

Background

The most predominant beta2-integrin lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1, CD11a/CD18, alphaLbeta2), expressed on all leukocytes, is essential for many adhesive functions of the immune system. Interestingly, RTX toxin-producing bacteria specifically target this leukocyte beta2-integrin which exacerbates lesions and disease development.

Results

This study reports the sequencing of the wild boar beta2-integrin CD11a and CD18 cDNAs. Predicted CD11a and CD18 subunits share all the main structural characteristics of their mammalian homologues, with a larger interspecies conservation for the CD18 than the CD11a. Besides these strong overall similarities, wild boar and domestic pig LFA-1 differ by 2 (CD18) and 1 or 3 (CD11a) substitutions, of which one is located in the crucial I-domain (CD11a, E168D).

Conclusion

As most wild boars are seropositive to the RTX toxin-producing bacterium Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae and because they have sustained continuous natural selection, future studies addressing the functional impact of these polymorphisms could bring interesting new information on the physiopathology of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae-associated pneumonia in domestic pigs.

Molecular characterisation of the caprine (Capra hircus) lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 alpha subunit-encoding cDNA

Background

Lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1, CD11a/CD18, alpha L beta 2) is required for many cellular adhesive interactions during the immune response.

Results

The Capra hircus CD11a-encoding cDNA was sequenced and compared with its human, murine, rat, bovine and ovine counterparts. Despite some focal differences, it shares all the main characteristics of its known mammalian homologues.

Conclusion

Therefore, along with the caprine CD18-encoding cDNA, which has been available for a few months, the sequence data revealed here will allow the Capra hircus LFA-1 expression in vitro as a tool to explore the specificities of inflammation in the caprine species.

The CD11a partner in Sus scrofa lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1): mRNA cloning, structure analysis and comparison with mammalian homologues

Background

Lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1, CD11a/CD18, alphaLbeta2), the most abundant and widely expressed beta2-integrin, is required for many cellular adhesive interactions during the immune response. Many studies have shown that LFA-1 is centrally involved in the pathogenesis of several diseases caused by Repeats-in-toxin (RTX) -producing bacteria.

Results

The porcine-LFA-1 CD11a (alpha) subunit coding sequence was cloned, sequenced and compared with the available mammalian homologues in this study. Despite some focal differences, it shares all the main characteristics of these latter. Interestingly, as in sheep and humans, an allelic variant with a triplet insertion resulting in an additional Gln-744 was consistently identified, which suggests an allelic polymorphism that might be biologically relevant.

Conclusion

Together with the pig CD18-encoding cDNA, which has been available for a long time, the sequence data provided here will allow the successful expression of porcine CD11a, thus giving the first opportunity to express the Sus scrofa beta2-integrin LFA-1 in vitro as a tool to examine the specificities of inflammation in the porcine species.