MHC class II proteins contain a potential binding site for the verotoxin receptor glycolipid CD77

Globotriaosyl ceramide or CD77 functions as a cell surface receptor for toxins of the Shiga toxin/verotoxin family and as a marker for germinal center stage B-cells. The B-cell protein CD19 and the interferon-alpha receptor possess verotoxin-like amino acid sequences in their extracellular domains, and CD77 has been shown to function in CD19-mediated adhesion and interferon-induced growth inhibition. The Burkitt's lymphoma cell line, Daudi, is similar to germinal center B-cells in their expression of CD77, CD19 and MHC class II molecules. Using the multiple sequence alignment program, ClustalW, we have identified a verotoxin-like amino acid sequence on the beta-chain of human and murine MHC class II molecules. Binding of CD77 at this site could modulate the peptide-binding properties of these MHC class II molecules. Using Western blot analysis of whole cell extracts, we found that CD77-positive Daudi cells have higher levels of HLA-D proteins than VT500 cells, a Daudi-derived CD77-deficient mutant cell line. In contrast, MHC class II-mediated adhesion and surface expression are similar in the two cell lines. Therefore, CD77 could play a functional or regulatory role in MHC class II-mediated functions specifically relating to antigen presentation by B-cells to T helper cells.