Ly49 RECEPTORS: REQUIREMENTS for LIGAND RECOGNITION and STRUCTURAL ASSEMBLY
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! ! Ly49 RECEPTORS: REQUIREMENTS FOR LIGAND RECOGNITION AND STRUCTURAL ASSEMBLY by Carla Maria Craveiro Salvado A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Immunology Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology University of Alberta ©Carla Maria Craveiro Salvado, 2015 ABSTRACT Natural killer (NK) cells in the mouse and rat rely on homodimeric Ly49 receptors to detect virally infected or transformed cells. The identification of altered cells requires the engagement of Ly49 receptors with MHC class I molecules. The engagement requires contact at three specific sites located below the floor of the peptide binding groove of MHC class I by three loop regions located within the ligand-interacting domain of Ly49s, the natural killer domain (NKD). Any alteration within either the MHC class I molecule or the Ly49 receptor could inhibit or disrupt the interaction, affecting the recognition of the ligand by the receptor, ultimately reflected in the functions of the NK cell. This relationship has not been as extensively studied in the rat as compared to the mouse. Given the sequence variability between the mouse and rat Ly49 loop regions, the significance of the loops in rat Ly49 receptors should be explored. Utilizing surface plasmon resonance (SPR), I was able to quantify the binding affinity of the rat Ly49i2 receptor for the MHC class I molecule RT1-A1c. Furthermore, I also showed that at least two of the three loop regions are required for RT1-A1c recognition by the Ly49i2 receptor. While complete binding between RT1-A1c and Ly49i2 was lost with mutated NKD L3 loop regions, only partial binding was lost with a mutated L6 loop, implying that the L6 loop may be required for MHC class I recognition, while the L3 loop may be required for MHC specificity. To assess the practical significance of the Ly49 loop regions, a functional assay is required. The RNK-16 rat leukemic cell line is heavily relied upon for NK cell functional studies. Expression of exogenous genes in RNK-16 cells, however, is difficult and extremely time consuming. I outlined a lentivirus-mediated transduction method that will allow RNK-16 cells to be transfected ii rapidly resulting in high transfection efficiency rate. The functional output of NK cells is a result of the signaling induced by the engagement of the MHC class I molecule with the Ly49 homodimer receptor. Utilizing biochemical assays, I demonstrate that Ly49 receptors belonging to the same group can associate as heterodimers. The ability of these receptors to form heterodimers may allow for manipulation of the receptors, altering the function of the NK cell. ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! iii TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. INTRODUCTION 1.1 General overview: Natural killer cells in the context of innate immunity…………….1 1.1.1 Brief overview of natural killer cell development and maturation………………..1 1.1.2 Functions of NK cells……………………………………………………………..2 1.2 Major histocompatibility complex molecules………………………………………...4 1.3 Natural killer cell surface receptors…………………………………………………...6 1.3.1 NK cell activation…………………………………………………………………6 1.3.2 NK cell inhibition…………………………………………………………………7 1.3.3 The leukocyte receptor complex…………………………………………………..8 1.3.4 The natural killer cell complex…………………………………………………..10 1.3.4.1 The Ly49 receptor family in the mouse and rat………………………………….14 1.3.4.1.1 The structure of the Ly49 receptors………………………………………….14 1.3.4.1.2 The Ly49 receptor repertoire……......……………………………………….17 1.4 Ly49 receptor engagement with MHC class I molecules……………………………18 1.4.1 Self tolerance and NK cell education……………………………………………19 1.4.2 Ly49 receptor and ligand binding specificity……………………………………20 1.5 Background and rationale……………………………………………………….…...21 ! ! II. !MATERIALS AND METHODS 2.1 Cell lines……………………………………………………………………………..31 2.2 Antibodies……………………………………………………………………………31 2.3 Cloning of Ly49 receptors…………………………………………………………...32 2.4 Mutagenesis and gene synthesis……………………………………………………..33 2.5 Lentivirus packaging and virus titering……………………………………………...33 2.6 RNK-16 transduction…………………………………………………………….…..35 2.7 Flow cytometry……………………………………………………………………....35 2.8 Puromycin titration……………………………………………………………….….36 iv 2.9 Protein expression, purification, folding, and analysis………………………….…...36 2.10 Surface plasmon resonance…………………………………………………………37 2.11 Transfection of COS-7 cells………………………………………………………...38 2.12 Immunoprecipitation and Western blotting……………………………...................38 2.13 Sequence alignments………………………………………………………………..39 2.14 Protein structure analysis…………………………………………………………...39 III. STRUCTURAL SPECIFICITY DETERMINANTS OF THE Ly49i2 RECEPTOR FOR ITS COGNATE LIGAND RT1-A1c 3.1 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………..40 3.2 Results………………………………………………………………………………..41 3.2.1 Determining the binding interaction of the rat inhibitory receptor Ly49i2 with its cognate ligand, the MHC class I molecule RT1-A1c…………………………………….41 3.2.2 The L6 loop in Ly49i2 may be required for RT1-A1c recognition………………...44 3.2.3 A requirement for the L5 loop of Ly49i2 for RT1-A1c recognition is inconclusive …………………………………………………………………………………………....47 3.2.4 The Ly49i2 L3 loop is critical for RT1-A1c recognition…………………………..50 3.3 Discussion……………………………………………………………………………57 IV. LENTIVIRAL-MEDIATED EXOGENOUS GENE EXPRESSION IN RNK- 16 CELLS 4.1 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………..90 4.2 Results………………………………………………………………………………..92 4.2.1 RNK-16 cells cannot be transduced to express the transgene Ly49i2 under the control of the universal CMV promoter………………………………………………….92 4.2.2 Wildtype Ly49i2 is expressed on the surface of RNK-16 cells using a lentivirus transduction system with an elongation factor-1! promoter for transgene expression….98 4.3 Discussion…………………………………………………………………………..101 v V. DIMERIZATION OF Ly49 RECEPTORS 5.1 Introduction………………………………………………………………………...110 5.2 Results……………………………………………………………………………...111 5.2.1 The activating Ly49M, Ly49W2, and Ly49P1 receptors associate together, and may form heterodimers……………………………………………………………………...111 5.2.2 The activating Ly49M and Ly49W2 receptors associate individually with the inhibitory receptor Ly49G2, possibly forming heterodimers…………………………..117 5.3 Discussion……………………………………………………………………...…...123 VI. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION 6.1 Overview of thesis………………………………………………………………….141 6.2 Analysis of thesis studies…………………………………………………………...141 6.2.1 Structural specificity determinants of the Ly49i2 receptor for its cognate ligand RT1-A1c………………………………………………………………………………...142 Summary of contributions…………………………………………………… ...142 Discussion and future directions………………………………………………..146 6.2.2 Lentiviral-mediated exogenous gene expression in RNK-16 cells……………….148 Summary of contributions……………………………………………………....148 Discussion and future directions…………………………………………….….150 6.2.3 Dimerization of Ly49 receptors…………………………………………………..151 Summary of contributions……………………………………………………....151 Discussion and future directions…………………………………………….….153 6.3 Concluding remarks………………………………………………………………...157 BIBLIOGRAPHY…………………………………………………………………….160 vi LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE DESCRIPTION PAGE 1-1 The genetic organization of the MHC complex in the human (HLA), mouse (H2), and rat (RT1) and the structure of MHC class I molecules………………………………..…25 1-2 The Leukocyte Receptor Complex (LRC)……………………………………….......26 1-3 The Natural Killer Complex (NKC)…………………………………………….…...27 1-4 Inhibitory and activating Ly49 receptors…………………………………………….28 1-5 Mouse and rat Ly49 gene alignments of MHC class I interacting regions……….….29 1-6 Co-crystal structures of Ly49A-H-2Dd and Ly49C-H-2Kb………………………….30 3-1 The mouse Ly49 NKD homodimer………………………………………………….64 3-2 The rat MHC class I molecule RT1-A1c……………………………………………..65 3-3 Wildtype Ly49i2 receptor and RT1-A1c refolds……………………………………..66 c 3-4 Ly49i2ED binding interactions with STOK2 Ab and RT1-A1 ………………………67 3-5 L6 loop chimeric receptor, Ly49i2.L6.NCDQED, refold……………………………..68 3-6 L6 loop chimeric receptor, Ly49i2.L6.NCDQED, binding interactions with the STOK2 Ab and RT1-A1c……………………………………………………………………….…69 3-7 L6 loop chimeric receptor, Ly49i2.L6.ACGAED, refold……………………………..70 3-8 L6 loop chimeric receptor, Ly49i2.L6.ACGAED, binding interactions with the STOK2 Ab and RT1-A1c……………………………………………………………………….…71 3-9 L5 loop chimeric receptor, Ly49i2.S241AED, refold…………………………………72 3-10 L5 loop chimeric receptor, Ly49i2.S241AED, binding interactions with the STOK2 Ab and RT1-A1c…………………………………………………………………………73 3-11 L5 loop chimeric receptor, Ly49i2.T243AED, refold……………………………….74 3-12 L5 loop chimeric receptor, Ly49i2.T243AED, binding interactions with the STOK2 Ab and RT1-A1c…………………………………………………………………………75 3-13 L5 loop chimeric receptor, Ly49i2.S241A.T243AED, refold……………………….76 3-14 L5 loop chimeric receptor, Ly49i2.S241A.T243AED, binding interactions with the STOK2 Ab and RT1-A1c………………………………………………………………...77 3-15 L3 loop chimeric receptor, Ly49i2.L3.s3ED, refold…………………………………78 vii 3-16 L3 loop chimeric receptor, Ly49i2.L3.s3ED, binding interactions with the STOK2 Ab and RT1-A1c……………………………………………………………………………...79 3-17 L3 loop chimeric receptor, Ly49i2.L3.s5ED, refold…………………………………80 3-18 L3 loop chimeric receptor, Ly49i2.L3.s5ED, binding interactions with the STOK2 Ab and RT1-A1c……………………………………………………………………………...81 3-19 L3 loop chimeric receptor, Ly49i2.L3.i5ED, refold…………………………….…...82 3-20 L3 loop chimeric receptor, Ly49i2.L3.i5ED, binding interactions with the STOK2 Ab and RT1-A1c………………………………………………………………………….......83 3-21 L3 loop chimeric