Related Experiment Videos

Identification of CD14 residues involved in specific lipopolysaccharide recognition

R A Shapiro1, M D Cunningham, K Ratcliffe

  • 1Inflammation Department, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceutical Research Institute, Seattle, Washington 98121, USA.

Infection and Immunity
|January 1, 1997
PubMed

Insights

CD14 binds microbial lipopolysaccharides (LPS) to trigger inflammation. Researchers identified a specific CD14 mutation (E47) that selectively binds E. coli LPS, revealing CD14

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Microbiology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • CD14 is crucial for innate immune responses to microbial infections, binding various ligands.
  • Its precise role in bacterial recognition and specific interactions with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) remain unclear.
  • Different bacterial LPS molecules, like those from E. coli and P. gingivalis, exhibit distinct binding and activation patterns with CD14.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the molecular basis of CD14's interaction with different bacterial LPS ligands.
  • To identify specific CD14 residues responsible for selective LPS binding and downstream cellular activation.
  • To understand how mutations in CD14 affect its ability to bind and respond to various LPS types.

Main Methods:

  • Site-directed mutagenesis was used to create single-point mutations in soluble CD14 recombinant proteins.
  • The binding affinity of wild-type and mutant CD14 to LPS from E. coli and P. gingivalis was assessed.
  • Functional activity was measured by monitoring E-selectin expression on human umbilical cord endothelial cells.

Main Results:

  • A charge reversal mutation at residue E47 of CD14 resulted in selective binding to E. coli LPS, but not P. gingivalis LPS.
  • Mutations at E47 did not compromise the structural integrity of the CD14 protein.
  • Other mutations, including E58, did not significantly alter LPS binding or E-selectin activation.

Conclusions:

  • CD14 possesses the ability to selectively recognize and bind different LPS ligands.
  • The E47 residue plays a critical role in the differential recognition of LPS from various bacterial species.
  • These findings provide molecular insights into CD14's specificity in innate immune recognition.

Related Concept Videos