Characterization of domain borders and of a naturally occurring major fragment of staphylococcal alpha-toxin

A naturally occurring staphylococcal alpha-toxin fragment with an apparent membrane-binding capacity but without toxic activities is shown to be derived from the C-terminal half of the intact polypeptide chain by cleavage between position 134 and 135 in the parent molecule. The resulting N-terminus is slightly ragged with a fragment start not only at position 135 but also at the adjacent position 136. Another naturally occurring fragment starts at position 9, derived from an original cleavage between position 8 and 9 in the parent molecule. Analysis of non-purified fragment mixtures confirmed these positions and established that only one further region, at positions 71-72, is partly sensitive to proteolysis under natural conditions. Trypsin treatment has limited effects on the native toxin molecule, giving essentially only two initial cleavages with resultant large fragments. One of these cleavages is at the peptide bond between position 131 and 132, thus only three residues away from the position of the major naturally occurring cleavage. The other bond sensitive to trypsin is between position 8 and 9, thus identically positioned to the cleavage occurring naturally. Together, all the cleavages define a region in a central segment of the polypeptide chain that has all the properties of an inter-domain segment. The C-terminal half appears to constitute a membrane-binding domain, and the N-terminal half a structure needed for full biological activity, functionally subdividing the parent polypeptide chain.     

Proteolysis of human monocyte CD14 by cysteine proteinases (gingipains) from Porphyromonas gingivalis leading to lipopolysaccharide hyporesponsiveness

Cysteine proteinases (gingipains) elaborated from Porphyromonas gingivalis exhibit enzymatic activities against a broad range of host proteins and are considered key virulence factors in the onset and development of adult periodontitis and host defense evasion. In this study, we examined the ability of arginine-specific gingipains (high molecular mass Arg-specific gingipain (HRGP) and Arg-specific gingipain 2) and lysine-specific gingipain (KGP) to cleave monocyte CD14, the main receptor for bacterial cell surface components such as LPS. Binding of anti-CD14 mAb MY4 to human monocytes was almost completely abolished by 0.3 microM HRGP and KGP treatments for 15 min, and 1 microM RGP2 for 30 min. In contrast, the expressions of Toll-like receptor 4, and CD18, CD54, CD59, and HLA-A, -B, -C on monocytes were slightly increased and decreased, respectively, by 0. 3 microM HRGP and KGP. This down-regulation resulted from direct proteolysis, because 1) gingipains eliminated MY4 binding even to fixed monocytes, and 2) CD14 fragments were detected in the extracellular medium by immunoblot analysis. Human rCD14 was degraded by all three gingipains, which confirmed that CD14 was a substrate for gingipains. TNF-alpha production by monocytes after HRGP and KGP treatments was decreased at 1 ng/ml, but not at 20 microg/ml LPS, indicating that gingipains inhibited a CD14-dependent cell activation. These results suggest that gingipains preferentially cleave monocyte CD14, resulting in attenuation of the cellular recognition of bacteria, and as a consequence sustain chronic inflammation.     

Minimal Interleukin 6 (IL-6) Receptor Stalk Composition for IL-6 Receptor Shedding and IL-6 Classic Signaling

Signaling of the pleiotropic cytokine Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is coordinated by membrane-bound and soluble forms of the IL-6 receptor (IL-6R) in processes called classic and trans-signaling, respectively. The soluble IL-6R is mainly generated by ADAM10- and ADAM17-mediated ectodomain shedding. Little is known about the role of the 52-amino acid-residue-long IL-6R stalk region in shedding and signal transduction. Therefore, we generated and analyzed IL-6R stalk region deletion variants for cleavability and biological activity. Deletion of 10 amino acids of the stalk region surrounding the ADAM17 cleavage site substantially blocked IL-6R proteolysis by ADAM17 but only slightly affected proteolysis by ADAM10. Interestingly, additional deletion of the remaining five juxtamembrane-located amino acids also abrogated ADAM10-mediated IL-6R shedding. Larger deletions within the stalk region, that do not necessarily include the ADAM17 cleavage site, also reduced ADAM10 and ADAM17-mediated IL-6R shedding, questioning the importance of cleavage site recognition. Furthermore, we show that a 22-amino acid-long stalk region is minimally required for IL-6 classic signaling. The gp130 cytokine binding sites are separated from the plasma membrane by ∼96 Å. 22 amino acid residues, however, span maximally 83.6 Å (3.8 Å/amino acid), indicating that the three juxtamembrane fibronectin domains of gp130 are not necessarily elongated but somehow flexed to allow IL-6 classic signaling. Our findings underline a dual role of the IL-6R stalk region in IL-6 signaling. In IL-6 trans-signaling, it regulates proper proteolysis by ADAM10 and ADAM17. In IL-6 classic-signaling, it acts as a spacer to ensure IL-6·IL-6R·gp130 signal complex formation.     

Arrangement of functional units within the Rapana thomasiana hemocyanin subunit RtH2

For the determination of the number and linear sequential arrangement of functional units (FUs) within the polypeptide chain of the Rapana hemocyanin subunit RtH2, a panel of mono-, di-, tri- and penta-FU fragments was generated by limited proteolysis of the purified subunit with four different enzymes. The individual cleavage products were isolated, characterized by SDS-PAGE and N-terminally sequenced. Most of the information about the FU sequential arrangement within RtH2 was obtained after limited proteolysis of the subunit with plasmin. Overall correlation of the data revealed the sequential order of the eight FUs within the polypeptide chain of RtH2, termed RtH2-a to RtH2-h. The sites, most sensitive to proteolytic cleavage with plasmin, are located at the C-terminus, between the FUs ef, fg and gh. A second main cleavage site was observed between the FUs cd. Endoproteinase GluC hydrolyzes these sites, too, but produces exclusively a mixture of mono-, di- and tri-FU fragments. The most stable fragments, the trimer abc and the dimer gh, are found in all cleavage mixtures of RtH2 studied. RtH2-h is compared with the corresponding h-FUs of the gastropodan hemocyanins of Pila leopoldvillensis, Helix pomatia, Megathura crenulata and Haliotis tuberculata, and a remarkable similarity is observed between them: an increased M(r) of approximately 65000 instead of approximately 50000, estimated for an average FU, suggesting that the sequence of RtH2-h is elongated by about 95 amino acid residues at the C-terminal part of the molecule, as found for beta(c)-HpH, HtH1 and HtH2.     

Structure of the anion-transport protein of the human erythrocyte membrane. Further studies on the fragments produced by proteolytic digestion.

The topology of the human erythrocyte membrane anion-transport protein (band 3) has been investigated by isolation and peptide 'mapping' of the major and minor fragments derived from proteolytic cleavage of the lactoperoxidase 125I-labelled protein in erythrocytes and erythrocyte membranes. The content, in each fragment, of lactoperoxidase 125I-labelled sites (which have a known location in the extracellular or cytoplasmic domain of the protein), together with the location of the sites of proteolytic cleavage yielding the fragments, has allowed us to determine the alignment of the fragments on the linear amino acid sequence and to infer the topology of the polypeptide in the membrane. The results suggest that a region in the C-terminal portion of the polypeptide forms part of the cytoplasmic domain of the protein in addition to a large N-terminal segment. The membrane-bound regions of the protein are located in the C-terminal two-thirds of the molecule. In this region the polypeptide chain traverses the membrane at least four times and an additional loop of polypeptide is either embedded in the membrane or also penetrates through it to the other surface. The location of the lectin receptors on the protein and the site of binding of an anion-transport inhibitor have also been studied.     

Enhancing Interleukin-6 and Interleukin-11 receptor cleavage

Proteolytic cleavage of the membrane-bound Interleukin-6 receptor (IL-6R) by the metalloprotease ADAM17 releases an agonistic soluble form of the IL-6R (sIL-6R), which is responsible for the pro-inflammatory trans-signaling branch of the cytokine's activities. This proteolytic step, which is also called ectodomain shedding, is critically regulated by the cleavage site within the IL-6R stalk, because mutations or small deletions within this region are known to render the IL-6R irresponsive towards proteolysis. In the present study, we employed cleavage site profiling data of ADAM17 to generate an IL-6R with increased cleavage susceptibility. Using site-directed mutagenesis, we showed that the non-prime sites P3 and P2 and the prime site P1′ were critical for this increase in proteolysis, whereas other positions within the cleavage site were of minor importance. Insertion of this optimized cleavage site into the stalk of the Interleukin-11 receptor (IL-11R) was not sufficient to enable ADAM17-mediated proteolysis, but transfer of different parts of the IL-6R stalk enabled shedding by ADAM17. These findings shed light on the cleavage site specificities of ADAM17 using a native substrate and reveal further differences in the proteolysis of IL-6R and IL-11R.     

Domain structure and 1H-n.m.r. spectroscopy of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex of Bacillus stearothermophilus.

The pyruvate dehydrogenase complex of Bacillus stearothermophilus was treated with Staphylococcus aureus V8 proteinase, causing cleavage of the dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase polypeptide chain (apparent Mr 57 000), inhibition of the enzymic activity and disassembly of the complex. Fragments of the dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase chains with apparent Mr 28 000, which contained the acetyltransferase activity, remained assembled as a particle ascribed the role of an inner core of the complex. The lipoic acid residue of each dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase chain was found as part of a small but stable domain that, unlike free lipoamide, was able still to function as a substrate for reductive acetylation by pyruvate in the presence of intact enzyme complex or isolated pyruvate dehydrogenase (lipoamide) component. The lipoyl domain was acidic and had an apparent Mr of 6500 (by sedimentation equilibrium), 7800 (by sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis) and 10 000 and 20 400 (by gel filtration in the presence and in the absence respectively of 6M-guanidinium chloride). 1H-n.m.r. spectroscopy of the dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase inner core demonstrated that it did not contain the segments of highly mobile polypeptide chain found in the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. 1H-n.m.r. spectroscopy of the lipoyl domain demonstrated that it had a stable and defined tertiary structure. From these and other experiments, a model of the dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase chain is proposed in which the small, folded, lipoyl domain comprises the N-terminal region, and the large, folded, core-forming domain that contains the acetyltransferase active site comprises the C-terminal region. These two regions are separated by a third segment of the chain, which includes a substantial region of polypeptide chain that enjoys high conformational mobility and facilitates movement of the lipoyl domain between the various active sites in the enzyme complex.     

Limited proteolysis of glutamine synthetase is inhibited by glutamate and by feedback inhibitors.

Limited proteolysis of glutamine synthetase from Escherichia coli has been studied under nondenaturing conditions (pH 7.6, 20 degrees C). Trypsin cleaves the polypeptide chain of glutamine synthetase into two principal fragments, Mr = about 32,000 and 18,000. The covalently bound AMP group is attached to the larger fragment and its presence does not affect cleavage. Although the cleaved polypeptide chain does not dissociate under nondenaturing conditions, catalytic activity is lost. Chymotrypsin and Staphylococcus aureus protease produce similar cleavages in glutamine synthetase. The substrate L-glutamate retards tryptic as well as chymotryptic digestion. Tryptic digestion is also retarded by some of the feedback inhibitors of glutamine synthetase including CTP, L-alanine, L-serine, L-histidine, and glucosamine 6-phosphate. An implication of these findings is that there is a region of the glutamine synthetase polypeptide chain that is particularly susceptible to proteolysis. Either the glutamate and inhibitor sites are formed partly by this suceptible peptide or the binding of glutamate and some inhibitors induces conformational changes within the E. coli glutamine synthetase molecule in the region of the susceptible peptide.     

Dichain structure of botulinum neurotoxin: identification of cleavage sites in types C, D, and F neurotoxin molecules

Botulinum neurotoxin (NT) is synthesized by Clostridium botulinum as about a 150-kDa single-chain polypeptide. Posttranslational modification by bacterial or exogenous proteases yielded dichain structure which formed a disulfide loop connecting a 50-kDa light chain (Lc) and 100-kDa heavy chain (Hc). We determined amino acid sequences around cleavage sites in the loop region of botulinum NTs produced by type C strain Stockholm, type D strain CB16, and type F strain Oslo by analysis of the C-terminal sequence of Lc and the N-terminal sequence of Hc. Cleavage was found at one or two sites at Arg444/Ser445 and Lys449/Thr450 for type C, and Lys442/Asn443 and Arg445/Asp446 for type D, respectively. In culture fluid of mildly proteolytic strains of type C and D, therefore, NT exists as a mixture of at least three forms of nicked dichain molecules. The NT of type F proteolytic strain Oslo showed the Arg435 as a C-terminal residue of Lc and Ala440 as an N-terminal residue of Hc, indicating that the bacterial protease cuts twice (Arg435/Lys436 and Lys439/Ala440), with excision of four amino acid residues. The location of cleavage and number of amino acid residue excisions in the loop region could be explained by the degree of exposure of amino acid residues on the surface of the molecule, which was predicted as surface probability from the amino acid sequence. In addition, the observed correlation may also be adapted to the cleavage sites of the other botulinum toxin types, A, B, E, and G.     

Identification and characterization of a C-terminally extended form of recombinant murine IL-6

Murine interleukin-6 (mIL-6) was expressed in Escherichia coli in the insoluble fraction of cell lysates. Approximately equal amounts of two polypeptide species, reactive with anti-IL-6 antibodies, were produced. The two forms of mIL-6 were isolated and found to have identical N-terminal sequences initiated by Met-Phe-Pro-Thr-Ser-Gln-. Peptide mapping after endoproteinase glu-C digestion led to isolation and characterization of the C-terminal peptides from each of the two forms and allowed the source of the heterogeneity to be identified as a C-terminal addition of three amino acids, Gln-Lys-Leu, to authentic mIL-6. Inspection of the nucleotide sequence of the plasmid containing the mIL-6 gene and expression of the plasmid in other strains suggested that the addition of three amino acids was caused by a readthrough of the termination codon arising from an unexpected suppressor mutation in the original host strain. Although the C-terminus of IL-6 is critical for the activity of this cytokine, the IL-6 variant with extended C-terminus was fully active in two separate bioassays. This suggests that the additional amino acids do not disrupt the structure or function of this important region of the molecule.     

Separation of cholesterol-specific cytochrome P-450 regions and their localization in the polypeptide chain

The separation of the two domains, disclosed by limited trypsinolysis in the cholesterol side chain cleavage cytochrome P-450, by covalent chromatography on thiopropyl-Sepharose 6B is described. The domains F1 (MW 27 000) and F2 (MW 22 000) are shown to belong to the N-terminal and C-terminal regions of the polypeptide chain respectively.     

A unique proteolytic fragment of human fibrinogen containing the A alpha COOH-terminal domain of the native molecule

The COOH-terminal portion of the A alpha chain of human fibrinogen is highly susceptible to proteolytic degradation. This property has prevented isolation of the COOH-terminal domain of fibrinogen for the direct investigation of its functional characteristics. Human fibrinogen was degraded with hementin, a fibrinogen-olytic protease from the posterior salivary glands of the leech, Haementeria ghilianii. Two initial fragments, Yhem1 and Dhem1, produced by cleavage through the three polypeptide chains in the connector region, were characterized and shown to retain the entire A alpha COOH-terminal domain. Late cleavages by hementin occurred in the A alpha chain COOH-terminal region to produce fragments Yhem and Dhem with shorter A alpha chain remnants. Fragments Dhem were isolated from an intermediate hementin digest of fibrinogen using anion-exchange chromatography. Fragment Dhem1 was separated further from Dhem fragments with shorter alpha chain remnants by affinity chromatography on immobilized plasma fibronectin. Fragment Dhem1 represents a unique proteolytic fragment of fibrinogen containing an intact A alpha chain COOH-terminal region. NH2-terminal sequence analysis of isolated chains from fragment Dhem1 located hementin cleavage sites in the connector region to A alpha Asn102-Asn103, B beta Lys130-Gln131, and gamma Pro76-Asn77. The specific interaction of fragment Dhem1 with immobilized fibronectin indicated that the binding site probably was located within the COOH-terminal 111 amino acids of the A alpha chain. The overall pattern of fibrinogen cleavage by hementin is similar to that of plasmin, yet hementin cleaves preferably in the coiled-coil connector, sparing the A alpha COOH-terminal domain.     

Interleukin-1 receptor type 1 is a substrate for gamma-secretase-dependent regulated intramembrane proteolysis

Biochemical and genetic studies have revealed that the presenilins interact with several proteins and are involved in the regulated intramembrane proteolysis of numerous type 1 membrane proteins, thereby linking presenilins to a range of cellular processes. In this study, we report the characterization of a highly conserved tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor-6 (TRAF6) consensus-binding site within the hydrophilic loop domain of presenilin-1 (PS-1). In coimmunoprecipitation studies we indicate that presenilin-1 interacts with TRAF6 and interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 2. Substitution of presenilin-1 residues Pro-374 and Glu-376 by site-directed mutagenesis greatly reduces the ability of PS1 to associate with TRAF6. By studying these interactions, we also demonstrate that the interleukin-1 receptor type 1 (IL-1R1) undergoes intramembrane proteolytic processing, mediated by presenilin-dependent gamma-secretase activity. A metalloprotease-dependent proteolytic event liberates soluble IL-1R1 ectodomain and produces an approximately 32-kDa C-terminal domain. This IL-1R1 C-terminal domain is a substrate for subsequent gamma-secretase cleavage, which generates an approximately 26-kDa intracellular domain. Specific pharmacological gamma-secretase inhibitors, expression of dominant negative presenilin-1, or presenilin deficiency independently inhibit generation of the IL-1R1 intracellular domain. Attenuation of gamma-secretase activity also impairs responsiveness to IL-1beta-stimulated activation of the MAPKs and cytokine secretion. Thus, TRAF6 and interleukin receptor-associated kinase 2 are novel binding partners for PS1, and IL-1R1 is a new substrate for presenilin-dependent gamma-secretase cleavage. These findings also suggest that regulated intramembrane proteolysis may be a control mechanism for IL-1R1-mediated signaling.     

Local melting in the subfragment-2 region of myosin in activated muscle and its correlation with contractile force

Local melting within the subfragment-2 region of activated rabbit skeletal glycerinated muscle fibers has been investigated over the temperature range 5 to 37 degrees C, using an enzyme (chymotrypsin)-probe method. The cleavage rates were determined from the time-course of formation of digestion products by electrophoresis on sodium dodecyl sulfate-containing polyacrylamide gels. We found the cleavage sites to be localized in a restricted region Mr = 64,000 to 90,000/polypeptide chain, measured from the C terminus of the myosin rod (the subfragment-2 hinge domain). The cleavage rate constant for activated muscle fibers in the presence of an ATP-regenerating system was about 100 times larger at each temperature than that for rigor or for relaxed muscle fibers and showed a marked increase in magnitude with increasing temperature. Comparative plots of the apparent rate-constant for cleavage within the subfragment-2 hinge domain and the isometric force generated by active fibers versus MgATP concentration gave closely similar profiles suggesting a strong positive correlation. Thus, there appears to be a close coupling between the conformational transition within the subfragment-2 hinge domain and contractile force when the cross-bridges undergo cycling.     

Pathways in the activation of human coagulation factor X.

Purified human Factor X (apparent mol.wt. 72000), which consists of two polypeptide chains (mol.wt. 55000 and 19000), was activated by both Russell's-viper venom and the purified physiological activators (Factor VII/tissue factor and Factor IXa/Factor VIII). They all convert Factor X to catalytically active Factor Xa (mol.wt. 54000) by cleaving the heavy chain at a site on the N-terminal region. In the presence of Ca2+ and phospholipid, the Factor Xa formed catalyses (a) the cleavage of a small peptide (mol.wt. 4000) from the C-terminal region of the heavy chain of Factor Xa, resulting in a second active form (mol.wt. 50000), and (b) the cleavage of a peptide containing the active-site serine residue (mol.wt. 13000) from the C-terminal region of the heavy chain of Factor X, resulting in an inactivatable component (mol.wt. 59000). A nomenclature for the various products is proposed.     

Probing stability and dynamics of proteins by protease digestion. II: Identification of the initial chymotryptic cleavage sites of homologous cytochromes c

Three homologous cytochromes c from horse, rabbit and tuna were subjected to chymotryptic digestion and their initial cleavage sites were identified. The sites in oxidized cytochromes c are the COOH-terminal sides of Tyr-48, Phe-46 and Tyr-46 for horse, rabbit and tuna cytochromes c, respectively. The results show that the chymotrypsin attacks a single site in each protein; the sites are located at the almost identical position on the polypeptide chain. Through the time-course studies of digestion, it was found that the three cytochromes c have different chymotrypsin-susceptibility at the initial cleavage site in the order of horse less than rabbit less than tuna. Studies on chymotryptic digestion of tuna cytochrome c in the reduced form revealed that the haem-reduction does not alter the initial cleavage site but increases the resistance to the proteolysis at the site. The uniqueness of the initial cleavage site in each cytochrome c species suggests that the protease susceptibility reflects some overall properties of the protein. At the same time, it was clarified that the initial cleavage site is also affected by a neighboring region by the fact that another potential cleavage site is located near the site in question. In order to elucidate the initial cleavage site, several physical properties of tuna cytochrome c molecule deduced from the X-ray 3D structure, accessible surface area, temperature factor, effective hydrophobicity and electrostatic potential, were compared with the experimental results and it was concluded that these properties given by a residue have no direct relationship with the chymotrypsin susceptibility.     

Co-translational,intraribosomal cleavage of polypeptides by the foot-and-mouth disease virus 2A peptide

During co-translational protein import into the endoplasmic reticulum ribosomes are docked onto the translocon. This prevents inappropriate exposure of nascent chains to the cytosol and, conversely, cytosolic factors from gaining access to the nascent chain. We exploited this property of co-translational translocation to examine the mechanism of polypeptide cleavage by the 2A peptide of the foot-and-mouth disease virus. We find that the scission reaction is unaffected by placing 2A into a co-translationally targeted protein. Moreover, the portion of the polypeptide C-terminal to the cleavage site remains in the cytosol unless it contains its own signal sequence. The pattern of cleavage is consistent with the proposal that the 2A-mediated cleavage reaction occurs within the ribosome itself. In addition, our data indicate that the ribosome-translocon complex detects the break in the nascent chain and prevents any downstream protein lacking a signal sequence from gaining access to the endoplasmic reticulum.     

Localization of the cleavage sites on fibronectin following digestion by urokinase.

Urokinase (u-PA) proteolytically cleaves both human plasma (pFn) and cellular (cFn) dimeric fibronectin (M(r) 440,000) into four major polypeptides of approximately M(r) 210,000, 200,000, 25,000, and 6,000. Amino acid sequence analysis of the polypeptide fragments indicated that the enzymatic cleavage of Fn occurs at two sites: 1) between an arginine/alanine peptide bond located C-terminal to residue 259; this cleavage liberates the N-terminal M(r) 25,000 fragment and the M(r) 210,000 and M(r) 200,000 polypeptides derived from the A and B chains of Fn, respectively; and 2) between an arginine/threonine peptide bond located C-terminal to residue 2,299, thereby yielding an M(r) 6,000 dimeric fragment containing the C-terminal interchain disulfide bonds. Predigestion of Fn with u-PA increased the molecule's vulnerability to further attack by the enzymes plasmin and cathepsin D. These data provide further biochemical evidence for the proteolytic cleavage of fibronectin by plasminogen activators and substantiate that u-PA digestion of Fn may be an initial event in the local degradation of the extracellular matrix by malignant cells, possessing elevated levels of these enzymes.     

Limited proteolysis of recombinant human soluble interleukin-2 receptor. Identification of an interleukin-2 binding core

Limited proteolysis of a recombinant, soluble form of the Tac protein, a human interleukin-2 receptor (rIL-2R), was performed using trypsin, Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease and proteinase K to study the structural requirements of interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R) for interleukin-2 (IL-2) binding. Sensitive proteolytic sites were found to be clustered in the regions of the polypeptide encoded by exons 3, 5, and 6, with a few semi-sensitive sites located within the two homologous domains encoded by exons 2 and 4. A number of nicked and truncated rIL-2R species generated by proteolysis were assayed for IL-2 binding using recombinant IL-2 (rIL-2) affinity gel and then structurally characterized. The results demonstrated that only the species that consist of the regions encoded by exons 2 and 4, joined by five disulfide bonds, are capable of binding IL-2 and that the presence of semi-sensitive cleavage sites within the two homologous domains had no apparent effect on IL-2 binding. These results suggest that the pattern of the sensitive cleavage sites in rIL-2R is closely related to the structural requirements for IL-2 binding. Based on the experimental results, a highly symmetrical core structure of IL-2R with a total of 135 amino acid residues was identified. This is the smallest protein moiety so far known to be capable of binding IL-2.