Identification and characterization of a novel protein associated with macrophage complement receptor 3

CR3 is a member of the beta 2 integrin family which functions as a bidirectional signaling receptor. The CR3 is composed of the alpha (CD11b) and beta (CD18) subunits, which contain a short intracytoplasmic domain devoid of catalytic activity. It was therefore postulated that CR3 is associated with intracellular molecules that link it to the cytoplasmic signal transduction apparatus. However, no direct association between such molecules and CR3 have been identified so far. We searched for CR3 co-associated molecules that might regulate the function of this receptor. For this purpose CR3 was immunoprecipitated from radiolabeled bone marrow macrophages using a combination of anti-CD11b and anti-CD18 mAbs. Two-dimensional isoelectric focusing analysis of the immunoprecipitates revealed the two CR3 subunits and an additional 16-kDa protein with an apparent isoelectric point of 5.1. This protein, designated p16/5.1, was intracellular, monomeric, nonglycosylated and noncovalently associated with CR3 but not with CR4. CR3-associated p16/5.1 was also detected in four of six macrophage lines as well as in thymic large macrophages, all of which express cell-surface CR3. We suggest that p16/5.1 may be involved in CR3-mediated function.