Posttranslational modification of proteins with polyubiquitin occurs in diverse signaling pathways and is tightly regulated to ensure cellular homeostasis. Studies employing ubiquitin mutants suggest that the fate of polyubiquitinated proteins is determined by which lysine within ubiquitin is linked to the C terminus of an adjacent ubiquitin. We have developed linkage-specific antibodies that recognize polyubiquitin chains joined through lysine 63 (K63) or 48 (K48). A cocrystal structure of an anti-K63 linkage Fab bound to K63-linked diubiquitin provides insight into the molecular basis for specificity. We use these antibodies to demonstrate that RIP1, which is essential for tumor necrosis factor-induced NF-kappaB activation, and IRAK1, which participates in signaling by interleukin-1beta and Toll-like receptors, both undergo polyubiquitin editing in stimulated cells. Both kinase adaptors initially acquire K63-linked polyubiquitin, while at later times K48-linked polyubiquitin targets them for proteasomal degradation. Polyubiquitin editing may therefore be a general mechanism for attenuating innate immune signaling.
OX40 is a T cell costimulator activated by OX40L. Blockade of the OX40L-OX40 interaction has ameliorative effects in animal models of T cell pathologies. In order to better understand the interaction between OX40 and OX40L, we have determined the crystal structure of murine OX40L and of the human OX40-OX40L complex at 1.45 and 2.4 A, respectively. These structures show that OX40L is an unusually small member of the tumor necrosis factor superfamily (TNFSF). The arrangement of the OX40L protomers forming the functional trimer is atypical and differs from that of other members by a 15 degrees rotation of each protomer with respect to the trimer axis, resulting in an open assembly. Site-directed changes of the interfacial residues of OX40L suggest this interface lacks a single "hot spot" and that instead, binding energy is dispersed over at least two distinct areas. These structures demonstrate the structural plasticity of TNFSF members and their interactions with receptors.
Activation of the proapoptotic receptor death receptor5 (DR5) in various cancer cells triggers programmed cell death through the extrinsic pathway. We have generated a fully human monoclonal antibody (Apomab) that induces tumor cell apoptosis through DR5 and investigated the structural features of its interaction with DR5. Biochemical studies showed that Apomab binds DR5 tightly and selectively. X-ray crystallographic analysis of the complex between the Apomab Fab fragment and the DR5 ectodomain revealed an interaction epitope that partially overlaps with both regions of the Apo2 ligand/tumor necrosis factorrelated apoptosis-inducing ligand binding site. Apomab induced DR5 clustering at the cell surface and stimulated a deathinducing signaling complex containing the adaptor molecule Fas-associated death domain and the apoptosis-initiating protease caspase-8. Fc crosslinking further augmented Apomab's proapoptotic activity. In vitro, Apomab triggered apoptosis in cancer cells, while sparing normal hepatocytes even upon anti-Fc crosslinking. In vivo, Apomab exerted potent antitumor activity as a single agent or in combination with chemotherapy in xenograft models, including those based on colorectal, non-small cell lung and pancreatic cancer cell lines. These results provide structural and functional insight into the interaction of Apomab with DR5 and support further investigation of this antibody for cancer therapy.
Five CD28-like proteins exert positive or negative effects on immune cells. Only four of these five receptors interact with members of the B7 family. The exception is BTLA (B and T lymphocyte attenuator), which instead interacts with the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member HVEM (herpes virus entry mediator). To better understand this interaction, we determined the 2.8-Å crystal structure of the BTLA-HVEM complex. This structure shows that BTLA binds the N-terminal cysteine-rich domain of HVEM and employs a unique binding surface compared with other CD28-like receptors. Moreover, the structure shows that BTLA recognizes the same surface on HVEM as gD (herpes virus glycoprotein D) and utilizes a similar binding motif. Light scattering analysis demonstrates that the extracellular domain of BTLA is monomeric and that BTLA and HVEM form a 1:1 complex. Alanine-scanning mutagenesis of HVEM was used to further define critical binding residues. Finally, BTLA adopts an immunoglobulin I-set fold. Despite structural similarities to other CD28-like members, BTLA represents a unique co-receptor.Co-receptor signaling is an important mechanism of coordinating and tightly regulating immune response. For instance, activation of naïve T cells requires a second co-stimulatory signal in addition to stimulation of the T cell receptor by engagement with peptide-MHC complexes. Conversely, co-inhibitory signals are required to maintain T cell self-tolerance and prevent autoimmunity (1). The CD28-like family is one important class of co-receptors. These members of the immunoglobulin superfamily (IgSF) 2 function as either co-stimulators (CD28 and inducible T cell costimulator) or co-inhibitors (CTLA-4, programmed death-1, and BTLA) in modulating immune cell activity (2). In general, these co-receptors are activated by members of the Ig containing B7 family (1). In addition to the CD28-and B7-like families of receptors and ligands, members of the TNF superfamilies of ligands and receptors (the TNFSF and TNFRSF respectively), such as OX40L-OX40, LIGHT-HVEM, CD27L-CD27, CD30L-CD30, and 4_1BBL-4_1BB, have also been reported to function as co-stimulators (3).Recently the CD28 family member BTLA was unexpectedly shown to bind and be activated by the TNFRSF member herpes virus entry mediator (HVEM, also known as TNFRSF14, HveA, ATAR, TR2, or LIGHTR) (4,5). This is the first example of cross-talk between the CD28 family and the TNFRSF. Whereas HVEM has been previously described as a co-stimulator triggered by the TNF-like ligands lymphotoxin ␣ (LT␣) and LIGHT (6), recent results from HVEM knock-out mice as well as the interaction between BTLA and HVEM are consistent with HVEM playing a co-inhibitory role (7). In addition to binding BTLA, LIGHT, and LT␣, human HVEM is also a host cell receptor for herpes simplex virus 1 by binding to herpes simplex virus 1 glycoprotein D (gD) (8).Structurally, the connection between the IgSF family represented by BTLA and the TNFRSF proteins such as HVEM is unexpected. Crystal structures of CD28, ...
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