Rheumatoid arthritis-associated joint pain is frequently observed independent of disease activity, suggesting unidentified pain mechanisms. We demonstrate that antibodies binding to cartilage, specific for collagen type II (CII) or cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP), elicit mechanical hypersensitivity in mice, uncoupled from visual, histological and molecular indications of inflammation. Cartilage antibody-induced pain-like behavior does not depend on complement activation or joint inflammation, but instead on tissue antigen recognition and local immune complex (IC) formation. smFISH and IHC suggest that neuronal Fcgr1 and Fcgr2b mRNA are transported to peripheral ends of primary afferents. CII-ICs directly activate cultured WT but not FcRγ chain-deficient DRG neurons. In line with this observation, CII-IC does not induce mechanical hypersensitivity in FcRγ chain-deficient mice. Furthermore, injection of CII antibodies does not generate pain-like behavior in FcRγ chain-deficient mice or mice lacking activating FcγRs in neurons. In summary, this study defines functional coupling between autoantibodies and pain transmission that may facilitate the development of new disease-relevant pain therapeutics.
The data show for the first time how ACPA, derived from human RA, recognize citrulline. The specific citrulline recognition and backbone-mediated interactions provide a structural explanation of the promiscuous recognition of citrullinated peptides by RA-specific ACPAs. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
A cellulase (endo-b-1,4-d-glucanase, EC 3.2.1.4) from blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) was purified to homogeneity using a combination of acid precipitation, heat precipitation, immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography, size-exclusion chromatography and ion-exchange chromatography. Purity was analyzed by SDS/PAGE, IEF and RP-HPLC. The cellulase (endoglucanase) was characterized with regard to enzymatic properties, isoelectric point, molecular mass and amino-acid sequence. It is a single polypeptide chain of 181 amino acids cross-linked with six disulfide bridges. Its molecular mass, as measured by MALDI-MS, is 19 702 Da; a value of 19 710.57 Da was calculated from amino-acid composition. The isoelectric point of the enzyme was estimated by isoelectric focusing in a polyacrylamide gel to a value of 7.6. According to amino-acid composition, the theoretical pI is 7.011. The effect of temperature on the endoglucanase activity, with carboxymethyl cellulose and amorphous cellulose as substrates, respectively, was studied at pH 5.5 and displayed an unusually broad optimum activity temperature range between 30 and 50 8C. Another unusual feature is that the enzyme retains 55±60% of its maximum activity at 0 8C. The enzyme readily degrades amorphous cellulose and carboxymethyl cellulose but displays no hydrolytic activity towards crystalline cellulose (Avicel) and shows no cross-specificity for xylan; there is no binding to Avicel. The enzyme can withstand 10 min at 100 8C without irreversible loss of enzymatic activity. Amino-acid sequence-based classification has revealed that the enzyme belongs to the glycoside hydrolase family 45, subfamily 2 (B. Henrissat, Centre de Recherches sur les Macromolecules Ve Âge Âtales, CNRS, Joseph Fourier Universite Â, Grenoble, France, personal communication).
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