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Neutralizing monoclonal antibodies define two different functional sites in human interleukin-4
(1994)
Human interleukin-4 (IL-4) is a small four-helix-bundle protein which is essential for organizing defense reactions against macroparasites, in particular helminths. Human IL-4 also appears to exert a pathophysiological role during various IgE-mediated allergic diseases. Seven different monoclonal antibodies neutralizing the activity of human IL-4 were studied in order to identify functionally important epitopes. A collection of 41 purified IL-4 variants was used to analyse how defined amino acid replacements affect binding affinity for each individual mAb. Specific amino acid positions could be assigned to four different epitopes. mAbs recognizing epitopes on helix A and/or C interfered with IL-4 receptor binding and thus inhibited IL-4 function. However, other mAbs also inhibiting IL-4 function recognized an epitope on helix D of IL-4 and did not inhibit IL-4 binding to the receptor protein. One mAb, recognizing N-terminal and C-terminal residues, partially competed for binding to the receptor. The results of these mAb epitope analyses confirm and extend previous data on the functional consequences of the amino acid replacements which showed that amino acid residues in helices A and C of IL-4 provide a binding site for the cloned IL-4 receptor and that a signalling site in helix D interacts with a further receptor protein.
Human interleukin-4 possesses two distinct sites for receptor activation. A signaHing site, comprising residues near the C-terminus on helix D, determines the efficacy of interleukin-4 signal transduction without affecting the binding to the interleukin-4 receptor a subunit. A complete antagonist and a series of low-efficacy agonist variants of human interleukin-4 could be generated by introducing combinations of two or three negatively charged aspartic acid residues in this site at positions 121, 124, and 125. One of the double variants, designated [R121D,Y124D]interleukin-4, with replacements of böth Arg121 and Tyr124 by aspartic acid residues was completely inactive in all analysed cellular responses. The loss of efficacy in [R121D,Y124D]interleukin-4 is estimated to be larger than 2000-fold. Variant [R121D,Y124D]interleukin-4 was also a perfect antagonist for inhibition of interleukin-13-dependent responses in B-cells and the TF-1 cellline with a K\(_i\) value of approximately 100 pM. In addition, inhibition of both interleukin-4-induced and interleuk.in-13- induced responses could be obtained by monoclonal antibody X2/45 raised against interleukin-4Rm the extracellular domain of the interleuk.in-4 receptor a subunit. These results indicate that efficient interleukin-4 antagonists can be designed on the basis of a sequential two-step activation model. In addition, the experiments indicate the functional participation of the interleukin-4 receptor a subunit in the interleukin-13 receptor system.
Monoclonal hBMP/NCP (human bone morphogenetic protein anrl associaterl noncollagenous proteins) antiborlies of the lgG class were prorlucerl. In vitro, 12 of 19 hBMP/NCP antiborlies showerl functional inhibition of hBMP/ NCP-induced chondroneogenesis in a neonatal muscle tissue assay. Inducing factors were characterized by their inhibiting antibodies with immunoblotting. Several peptide factors seem to be involved in the cascade of inducerl chondro- and osteogenesis.
T~e N,N'-dicrclohexylcarbodiimide-binding proteolipid subumt of the mitochondrial adenosinetriphosphatases (ATP phosphohydrolase, EC 3.6.1.3) of Neurosporacrassa and Saccharomyces cerevisiae were purified from mitochondria incubated with the radioactively labeled inhibitor. The specifically labeled subunit was cleaved with cyanogen bromide and N-bromosuccinimide, and the resultant fragments were separated by gel chromatography in the presence of 80% (vol/vol) formic acid. The N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide label was recovered in each organism exclusively in a 17-residue fragment. Further analysis by automated solid-phase Edman degrada.ti.on revealed tha~ the bound label was present at only one positIOn, correspondmg to a glutamyl residue. The NN'~ icyc~ohexyl~a~bodiiJ?1~de-'!l0dified glutamyl residue is the ~nly Id~ntIcal aCidic posItIon m both proteins and occurs in the middle of a hydrophobic sequence of about 25 residues.
b-Type cytochromes
(1980)
The amino acid sequence of the proteolipid subunit of the A TP synthase was analyzed in six mutant strains from Escherichia coli K 12, selected for their increased resistance towards the inhibitor N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide. All six inhibitor-resistant mutants were found to be altered at the same position of the proteolipid, namely at the isoleucine at residue 28. Two substitutions could be identified. In type I this residue was substituted by a valine resulting in a moderate decrease in sensitivity to dicyclohexylcarbodiimide. Type II contained a threonine residue at this position. Here a strong resistance was observed. These two amino acid substitutions did not influence functional properties of the ATPase complex. ATPase as well as A TP-dependent proton-translocating activities of mutant membranes were indistinguishable from the wild type. At elevated concentrations, dicyclohexylcarbodiimide still bound specifically to the aspartic acid at residue 61 of the mutant proteolipid as in the wild type, and thereby inhibited the activity of the ATPase complex. It is suggested that the residue 28 substituted in the resistant mutants interacts with dicyclohexylcarbodiimide during the reactions leading to the covalent attachment of the inhibitor to the aspartic acid at residue 61. This could indicate that these two residues are in close vicinity and would thus provide a first hint on the functional conformation of the proteolipid. Its polypeptide chain would have to fold back to bring together these two residues separated by a segment of 32 residues.