Pulmonary Collectins Protect Macrophages against Pore-forming Activity of Legionella pneumophila and Suppress Its Intracellular Growth

Pulmonary collectins, surfactant proteins A (SP-A) and D (SP-D), play important roles in innate immunity of the lung. Legionella pneumophila is a bacterial respiratory pathogen that can replicate within macrophages and causes opportunistic infections. L. pneumophila possesses cytolytic activity, resulting from insertion of pores in the macrophage membrane upon contact. We examined whether pulmonary collectins play protective roles against L. pneumophila infection. SP-A and SP-D bound to L. pneumophila and its lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and inhibited the bacterial growth in a Ca²⁺-dependent manner. The addition of LPS in the culture blocked the inhibitory effects on L. pneumophila growth by the collectins, indicating the importance of LPS-collectin interaction. When differentiated THP-1 cells were infected with L. pneumophila in the presence of SP-A and SP-D, the number of permeable cells was significantly decreased, indicating that pulmonary collectins inhibit pore-forming activity of L. pneumophila. The number of live bacteria within the macrophages on days 1–4 after infection was significantly decreased when infection was performed in the presence of pulmonary collectins. The phagocytosis experiments with the pH-sensitive dye-labeled bacteria revealed that pulmonary collectins promoted bacterial localization to an acidic compartment. In addition, SP-A and SP-D significantly increased the number of L. pneumophila co-localized with LAMP-1. These results indicate that pulmonary collectins protect macrophages against contact-dependent cytolytic activity of L. pneumophila and suppress intracellular growth of the phagocytosed bacteria. The promotion of lysosomal fusion with Legionella-containing phagosomes constitutes a likely mechanism of L. pneumophila growth suppression by the collectins.     

Single-nucleotide polymorphisms in porcine mannan-binding lectin A

The MBL1 and MBL2 genes encode mannan-binding lectins (MBL) A and C, respectively, that are collagenous lectins (collectins) produced mainly by the liver. Several single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the human MBL2 gene are responsible for various innate immune dysfunctions due to abnormal structure or expression of human MBL-C. The MBL1 gene encodes MBL-A, which has bacteria-binding properties in pigs and rodents but is mutated to a pseudogene in humans and chimpanzees. In these studies, we surveyed both porcine MBL genes for SNPs that might impair disease resistance. Single-strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP) analysis of MBL cDNAs from porcine liver revealed three SNPs within the coding region of MBL1 in various breeds of pigs. One nonsynonymous SNP that substituted cysteine for glycine in the collagen-like domain of pig MBL-A was found by a multiplex PCR test in all European pig breeds examined, with allele frequencies ranging from 1.4 to 46.4%. No SNPs were identified in the coding region of porcine MBL2 but the expression of MBL-C in the liver was widely variable in comparison to the expression of MBL-A, GAPDH, PigMAP, and haptoglobin. These results indicate that some pigs have a miscoding defect in MBL-A and a possible expression defect in MBL-C, which are analogous to coding and promoter polymorphisms that affect human MBL-C.     

Mannose binding lectin and lung collectins interact with Toll-like receptor 4 and MD-2 by different mechanisms

Background

We have previously shown that lung collectins, surfactant protein A (SP-A) and surfactant protein D, interact with Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2, TLR4, or MD-2. Bindings of lung collectins to TLR2 and TLR4/MD-2 result in the alterations of signaling through these receptors, suggesting the immunomodulatory functions of lung collectins. Mannose binding lectin (MBL) is another collectin molecule which has structural homology to SP-A. The interaction between MBL and TLRs has not yet been determined.

Methods

We prepared recombinant MBL, and analyzed its bindings to recombinant soluble forms of TLR4 (sTLR4) and MD-2.

Results

MBL bound to sTLR4 and MD-2. The interactions were Ca²⁺-dependent and inhibited by mannose or monoclonal antibody against the carbohydrate-recognition domain of MBL. Treatment of sTLR4 or MD-2 by peptide N-glycosidase F significantly decreased the binding of MBL. SP-A bound to deglycosylated sTLR4, and this property did not change in chimeric molecules of SP-A/MBL in which Glu¹⁹⁵–Phe²²⁸ or Thr¹⁷⁴–Gly¹⁹⁴ of SP-A were replaced with the corresponding MBL sequences.

General Significance

These results suggested that MBL binds to TLR4 and MD-2 through the carbohydrate-recognition domain, and that oligosaccharide moieties of TLR4 and MD-2 are important for recognition by MBL. Since our previous studies indicated that lung collectins bind to the peptide portions of TLRs, MBL and lung collectins interact with TLRs by different mechanisms. These direct interactions between MBL and TLR4 or MD-2 suggest that MBL may modulate cellular responses by altering signals through TLRs.     

Scavenger receptor CL-P1 mediates endocytosis by associating with AP-2μ2

Background

Scavenger receptor CL-P1 (collectin placenta 1) has been found recently as a first membrane-type collectin which is mainly expressed in vascular endothelial cells. CL-P1 can endocytose OxLDL as well as microbes but in general, the endocytosis mechanism of a scavenger receptor is not well elucidated.

Methods

We screened a placental cDNA library using a yeast two-hybrid system to detect molecules associated with the cytoplasmic domain of CL-P1. We analyzed the binding and endocytosis of several ligands in CL-P1 transfectants and performed the inhibition study using tyrphostin A23 which is a specific inhibitor of tyrosine kinase, especially in μ2-dependent endocytosis and the site-directed mutagenesis in the endocytosis YXXΦ motif in CL-P1 cytoplasmic region. Furthermore, the SiRNA study of clathrin, adaptor AP-2 and dynamin-2 during the endocytosis of OxLDL in CL-P1 transfectant cells was carried out.

Results

We identified μ2 subunit of the AP-2 adaptor complex as a molecule associated with the cytoplasmic region of CL-P1. We demonstrated that AP-2μ2 was essential for CL-P1 mediated endocytosis of OxLDL in CL-P1 transfectant cells and its endocytosis was also mediated by clathrin, dynamin and adaptin complex molecules.

Conclusions

Tyrosine-based YXXΦ sequences play an important role in CL-P1-mediated OxLDL endocytosis associated with AP-2μ2.

General Significance

This might be the first finding of the clear endocytosis mechanism in scavenger receptor CL-P1.     

A Unique Sugar-binding Site Mediates the Distinct Anti-influenza Activity of Pig Surfactant Protein D

Pigs can act as intermediate hosts by which reassorted influenza A virus (IAV) strains can be transmitted to humans and cause pandemic influenza outbreaks. The innate host defense component surfactant protein D (SP-D) interacts with glycans on the hemagglutinin of IAV and contributes to protection against IAV infection in mammals. This study shows that a recombinant trimeric neck lectin fragment derived from porcine SP-D (pSP-D) exhibits profound inhibitory activity against IAV, in contrast to comparable fragments derived from human SP-D. Crystallographic analysis of the pSP-D fragment complexed with a viral sugar component shows that a unique tripeptide loop alters the lectin site conformation of pSP-D. Molecular dynamics simulations highlight the role of this flexible loop, which adopts a more stable conformation upon sugar binding and may facilitate binding to viral glycans through contact with distal portions of the branched mannoside. The combined data demonstrate that porcine-specific structural features of SP-D contribute significantly to its distinct anti-IAV activity. These findings could help explain why pigs serve as important reservoirs for newly emerging pathogenic IAV strains.     

Surfactant and its role in the pathobiology of pulmonary infection

Pulmonary surfactant is a complex surface-active substance comprised of key phospholipids and proteins that has many essential functions. Surfactant's unique composition is integrally related to its surface-active properties, its critical role in host defense, and emerging immunomodulatory activities ascribed to surfactant lipids. Together these effector functions provide for lung stability and protection from a barrage of potentially virulent infectious pathogens.