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Rafii P, Seibel C, Weitz HT, Ettich J, Minafra AR, Petzsch P, Lang A, Floss DM, Behnke K, Köhrer K, Moll JM, Scheller J. Cytokimera GIL-11 rescued IL-6R deficient mice from partial hepatectomy-induced death by signaling via non-natural gp130:LIFR:IL-11R complexes. Commun Biol 2023; 6:418. [PMID: 37061565 PMCID: PMC10105715 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04768-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2023] Open
Abstract
All except one cytokine of the Interleukin (IL-)6 family share glycoprotein (gp) 130 as the common β receptor chain. Whereas Interleukin (IL-)11 signal via the non-signaling IL-11 receptor (IL-11R) and gp130 homodimers, leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) recruits gp130:LIF receptor (LIFR) heterodimers. Using IL-11 as a framework, we exchange the gp130-binding site III of IL-11 with the LIFR binding site III of LIF. The resulting synthetic cytokimera GIL-11 efficiently recruits the non-natural receptor signaling complex consisting of gp130, IL-11R and LIFR resulting in signal transduction and proliferation of factor-depending Ba/F3 cells. Besides LIF and IL-11, GIL-11 does not activate receptor complexes consisting of gp130:LIFR or gp130:IL-11R, respectively. Human GIL-11 shows cross-reactivity to mouse and rescued IL-6R-/- mice following partial hepatectomy, demonstrating gp130:IL-11R:LIFR signaling efficiently induced liver regeneration. With the development of the cytokimera GIL-11, we devise the functional assembly of the non-natural cytokine receptor complex of gp130:IL-11R:LIFR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Puyan Rafii
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Christiane Seibel
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Hendrik T Weitz
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Julia Ettich
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Anna Rita Minafra
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Patrick Petzsch
- Biological and Medical Research Center (BMFZ), Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, Universitätsstraße 1, 40225, Duesseldorf, Germany
| | - Alexander Lang
- Cardiovascular Research Laboratory, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Düsseldorf, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Doreen M Floss
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Kristina Behnke
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Karl Köhrer
- Cardiovascular Research Laboratory, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Düsseldorf, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Jens M Moll
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Jürgen Scheller
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany.
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Berg AF, Ettich J, Weitz HT, Krusche M, Floss DM, Scheller J, Moll JM. Exclusive inhibition of IL-6 trans-signaling by soluble gp130 FlyRFc. Cytokine X 2021; 3:100058. [PMID: 34927050 PMCID: PMC8649222 DOI: 10.1016/j.cytox.2021.100058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
A variety of sgp130Fc muteins was generated. Introduction of a gp130 SNP (R281Q) into sgp130Fc increases IL-6 specificity. The sgp130Fc variant sgp130FlyR exclusively affects IL-6 trans-signaling.
gp130 is the signal-transducing receptor for the Interleukin (IL)-6 type cytokines IL-6 and IL-11. To induce signaling, IL-6 forms a complex with IL-6 receptor (IL-6R) and IL-11 with IL-11 receptor (IL-11R). Membrane-bound IL-6R and IL-11R in complex with gp130 and the cytokine mediate classic-signaling, whereas trans-signaling needs soluble IL-6R and IL-11R variants. Interleukin (IL)-6 trans-signaling is of particular importance because it drives the development of autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, whereas a role for IL-11 trans-signaling remains elusive. Soluble gp130 selectively inhibits trans-signaling of IL-6 whereas both, classic- and trans-signaling are abrogated by IL-6- and IL-6R-antibodies. Recently, we described an optimized sgp130 variant, which carries three amino acid substitutions T102Y/Q113F/N114L (sgp130FlyFc) resulting in reduced inhibition of IL-11 trans-signaling by increasing the affinity of sgp130 for the site I of IL-6. Moreover, we described that the patient mutation R281Q in gp130 results in reduced IL-11 signaling. Here, we show that the combination of T102Y/Q113F/N114L and R281Q in the new variant sgp130FlyRFc results in complete preservation of IL-11 mediated trans-signaling, whereas inhibition of IL-6 trans-signaling is maintained. Since sgp130Fc (olamkicept) has successfully completed a phase IIa trial in Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis, sgp130FlyRFc might serve as second-generation therapeutic to diminish IL-11 trans-signaling cross-reactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna F Berg
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Julia Ettich
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Hendrik T Weitz
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Matthias Krusche
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Doreen M Floss
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Jürgen Scheller
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Jens M Moll
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
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Georgy J, Arlt Y, Moll JM, Ouzin M, Weitz HT, Gremer L, Willbold D, Grötzinger J, Thives-Kurenbach F, Scheller J, Floss DM. Tryptophan (W) at position 37 of murine IL-12/IL-23 p40 is mandatory for binding to IL-12Rβ1 and subsequent signal transduction. J Biol Chem 2021; 297:101295. [PMID: 34637790 PMCID: PMC8571081 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Interleukin (IL)-12 and IL-23 are composite cytokines consisting of p35/p40 and p19/p40, respectively, which signal via the common IL-12 receptor β1 (IL-12Rβ1) and the cytokine-specific receptors IL-12Rβ2 and IL-23R. Previous data showed that the p40 component interacts with IL-12Rβ1, whereas p19 and p35 subunits solely bind to IL-23R and IL-12Rβ2, resulting in tetrameric signaling complexes. In the absence of p19 and p35, p40 forms homodimers and may induce signaling via IL-12Rβ1 homodimers. The critical amino acids of p19 and p35 required for binding to IL-23R and IL-12Rβ2 are known, and two regions of p40 critical for binding to IL-12Rβ1 have recently been identified. In order to characterize the involvement of the N-terminal region of p40 in binding to IL-12Rβ1, we generated deletion variants of the p40-p19 fusion cytokine. We found that an N-terminal deletion variant missing amino acids M23 to P39 failed to induce IL-23-dependent signaling and did not bind to IL-12Rβ1, whereas binding to IL-23R was maintained. Amino acid replacements showed that p40W37K largely abolished IL-23-induced signal transduction and binding to IL-12Rβ1, but not binding to IL-23R. Combining p40W37K with D36K and T38K mutations eliminated the biological activity of IL-23. Finally, homodimeric p40D36K/W37K/T38K did not interact with IL-12Rβ1, indicating binding of homodimeric p40 to IL-12Rβ1 is comparable to the interaction of IL-23/IL-12 and IL-12Rβ1. In summary, we have defined D36, W37, and T38 as hotspot amino acids for the interaction of IL-12/IL-23 p40 with IL-12Rβ1. Structural insights into cytokine–cytokine receptor binding are important to develop novel therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline Georgy
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Yvonne Arlt
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Jens M Moll
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Meryem Ouzin
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Hendrik T Weitz
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Lothar Gremer
- Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-7: Structural Biochemistry) and JuStruct: Jülich Center for Structural Biology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Institut für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Dieter Willbold
- Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-7: Structural Biochemistry) and JuStruct: Jülich Center for Structural Biology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Institut für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Joachim Grötzinger
- Institute of Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Felix Thives-Kurenbach
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Jürgen Scheller
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Doreen M Floss
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
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