Biomedical subjects

A Whitty

Publications and source records attributed to A Whitty.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2001

Evidence that ligand and metal ion binding to integrin alpha 4beta 1 are regulated through a coupled equilibrium.

We have used the highly selective alpha(4)beta(1) inhibitor 2S-[(1-benzenesulfonyl-pyrrolidine-2S-carbonyl)-amino]-4-[4-methyl-2S-(methyl-[2-[4-(3-o-tolyl-ureido)-phenyl]-acetyl]-amino)-pentanoylamino]-butyric acid (BIO7662) as a model ligand to study alpha(4)beta(1) integrin-ligand interactions on Jurkat cells. Binding of [(35)S]BIO7662 to Jurkat cells was dependent on the presence of divalent cations and could be blocked by treatment with an excess of unlabeled inhibitor or with EDTA. K(D) values for the binding of BIO7662 to Mn(2+)-activated alpha(4)beta(1) and to the nonactivated state of the integrin that exists in 1 mm Mg(2+), 1 mm Ca(2+) were <10 pm, indicating that it has a high affinity for both activated and nonactivated integrin. No binding was observed on alpha(4)beta(1) negative cells. Through an analysis of the metal ion dependences of ligand binding, several unexpected findings about alpha(4)beta(1) function were made. First, we observed that Ca(2+) binding to alpha(4)beta(1) was stimulated by the addition of BIO7662. From solution binding studies on purified alpha(4)beta(1), two types of Ca(2+)-binding sites were identified, one dependent upon and the other independent of BIO7662 binding. Second, we observed that the metal ion dependence of ligand binding was affected by the affinity of the ligand for alpha(4)beta(1). ED(50) values for the metal ion dependence of the binding of BIO7762 and the binding of a lower affinity ligand, BIO1211, differed by 2-fold for Mn(2+), 30-fold for Mg(2+), and >1000-fold for Ca(2+). Low Ca(2+) (ED(50) = 5-10 microm) stimulated the binding of BIO7662 to alpha(4)beta(1). The effects of microm Ca(2+) closely resembled the effects of Mn(2+) on alpha(4)beta(1) function. Third, we observed that the rate of BIO7662 binding was dependent on the metal ion concentration and that the ED(50) for the metal ion dependence of BIO7662 binding was affected by the concentration of the BIO7662. These studies point to an even more complex interplay between metal ion and ligand binding than previously appreciated and provide evidence for a three-component coupled equilibrium model for metal ion-dependent binding of ligands to alpha(4)beta(1).

Benzoates↗

PubMed2001

Enhanced potency of human Sonic hedgehog by hydrophobic modification.

Post-translational modifications of the developmental signaling protein Sonic hedgehog (Shh) by a long-chain fatty acid at the N-terminus and cholesterol at the C-terminus greatly activate the protein in a cell-based signaling assay. To investigate the structural determinants of this activation phenomenon, hydrophobic and hydrophilic moieties have been introduced by chemical and mutagenic methods to the soluble N-terminal signaling domain of Shh and tested in both in vitro and in vivo assays. A wide variety of hydrophobic modifications increased the potency of Shh when added at the N-terminus of the protein, ranging from long-chain fatty acids to hydrophobic amino acids, with EC(50) values from 99 nM for the unmodified protein to 0.6 nM for the myristoylated form. The N-myristoylated Shh was as active as the natural form having both N- and C-terminal modifications. The degree of activation appears to correlate with the hydrophobicity of the modification rather than any specific chemical feature of the adduct; moreover, substitution with hydrophilic moieties decreased activity. Hydrophobic modifications at the C-terminus of Shh resulted in only a 2-3-fold increase in activity, and no activation was found with hydrophobic modification at other surface positions. The N-terminal modifications did not appear to alter the binding affinity of the Shh protein for the transfected receptor protein, Patched, and had no apparent effect on structure as measured by circular dichroism, thermal denaturation, and size determination. Activation of Desert Hh through modification of its N-terminus was also observed, suggesting that this is a common feature of Hh proteins.

Acyl Coenzyme A↗

PubMed2001

The immunological synapse and CD28-CD80 interactions.

According to the two-signal model of T cell activation, costimulatory molecules augment T cell receptor (TCR) signaling, whereas adhesion molecules enhance TCR-MHC-peptide recognition. The structure and binding properties of CD28 imply that it may perform both functions, blurring the distinction between adhesion and costimulatory molecules. Our results show that CD28 on naïve T cells does not support adhesion and has little or no capacity for directly enhancing TCR-MHC-peptide interactions. Instead of being dependent on costimulatory signaling, we propose that a key function of the immunological synapse is to generate a cellular microenvironment that favors the interactions of potent secondary signaling molecules, such as CD28.

B7-1 Antigen↗

PubMed2001

Mapping of IFN-beta epitopes important for receptor binding and biologic activation: comparison of results achieved using antibody-based methods and alanine substitution mutagenesis.

The epitopes important for receptor binding and activation of human interferon-beta1a (IFN-beta1a) were mapped with monoclonal antibodies (mAb), grouped on the basis of their specificity and ability to neutralize biologic activity, and alanine scanning mutagenesis (ASM). The binding properties of nine mAb were defined, using ASM-IFN-beta mutants having alanine substituted at targeted, surface-exposed residues. The results were correlated with the mAb neutralizing potency. Of six mAb that bound either at or adjacent to the IFNAR-2 receptor chain binding site defined by the ASM epitopes, only three had measurable neutralizing activity. Two of these inhibited IFN-beta/IFNAR-2 complex formation, suggesting that steric hindrance of receptor binding constitutes their mechanism of neutralization. However, two mAb that bound to sites remote from the IFNAR-2 binding site on IFN-beta also inhibited IFN-beta/IFNAR-2 complex formation and demonstrated potent neutralizing activity. Thus, neutralizing mAb may employ mechanisms other than steric blockade to inhibit directly the binding of receptor by cytokine, limiting their usefulness as tools to define precise receptor-ligand interaction sites.

Alanine↗

PubMed2000

Application of linear free energy relationships to the serpin-proteinase inhibition mechanism.

Linear free energy relationships can be used to link the changes in rate constant for a reaction to changes in the equilibrium caused by alterations in structure. While they have most often been used in the analysis of chemical reactions, they have also been employed to resolve questions in enzymology and protein folding. Here we analyze the reaction of a serpin with a panel of six serine proteinases, and observe that a linear free energy relationship exists between the true second-order rate constant for reaction, k(inh), and the inhibition constant, K(I), indicating that formation of the covalent serpin-enzyme complex may be reversible.

Animals↗

PubMed2000

Systematic mutational mapping of sites on human interferon-beta-1a that are important for receptor binding and functional activity.

A systematic mutational analysis of human interferon-beta-1a (IFN-beta) was performed to identify regions on the surface of the molecule that are important for receptor binding and for functional activity. The crystal structure of IFN-beta-1a was used to design a panel of 15 mutant proteins, in each of which a contiguous group of 2-8 surface residues was mutated, in most instances to alanine. The mutants were analyzed for activity in vitro in antiviral and in antiproliferation assays, and for their ability to bind to the type I IFN (ifnar1/ifnar2) receptor on Daudi cells and to a soluble ifnar2 fusion protein (ifnar2-Fc). Abolition of binding to ifnar2-Fc for mutants A2, AB1, AB2, and E established that the ifnar2 binding site on IFN-beta comprises parts of the A helix, the AB loop, and the E helix. Mutations in these areas, which together define a contiguous patch of the IFN-beta surface, also resulted in reduced affinity for binding to the receptor on cells and in reductions in activity of 5-50-fold in functional assays. A second receptor interaction site, concluded to be the ifnar1 binding site, was identified on the opposite face of the molecule. Mutations in this region, which encompasses parts of the B, C, and D helices and the DE loop, resulted in disparate effects on receptor binding and on functional activity. Analysis of antiproliferation activity as a function of the level of receptor occupancy allowed mutational effects on receptor activation to be distinguished from effects on receptor binding. The results suggest that the binding energy from interaction of IFN-beta with ifnar2 serves mainly to stabilize the bound IFN/receptor complex, whereas the binding energy generated by interaction of certain regions of IFN-beta with ifnar1 is not fully expressed in the observed affinity of binding but instead serves to selectively stabilize activated states of the receptor.

Alanine↗

PubMed1999

Zinc-dependent structural stability of human Sonic hedgehog.

The role of the zinc site in the N-terminal fragment of human Sonic hedgehog (ShhN) was explored by comparing the biophysical and functional properties of wild-type ShhN with those of mutants in which the zinc-coordinating residues H140, D147, and H182, or E176 which interacts with the metal ion via a bridging water molecule, were mutated to alanine. The wild-type and E176A mutant proteins retained 1 mol of zinc/mol of protein after extensive dialysis, whereas the H140A and D147A mutants retained only 0.03 and 0.05 mol of zinc/mol of protein, respectively. Assay of the wild-type and mutant proteins in two activity assays indicated that the wild-type and E176A mutant proteins had similar activity, whereas the H140A and D147A mutants were significantly less active. These assays also indicated that the H140A and D147A mutants were susceptible to proteolysis. CD, fluorescence, and (1)H NMR spectra of the H140A, D147A, and E176A mutants measured at 20 or 25 degrees C were very similar to those observed for wild-type ShhN. However, CD measurements at 37 degrees C showed evidence of some structural differences in the H140A and D147A mutants. Guanidine hydrochloride (GuHCl) denaturation studies revealed that the loss of zinc from the H140A and D147A mutants destabilized the folded proteins by approximately 3.5 kcal/mol, comparable to the effect of removing zinc from wild-type ShhN by treatment with EDTA. Thermal melting curves of wild-type ShhN gave a single unfolding transition with a midpoint T(m) of approximately 59 degrees C, whereas both the H140A and D147A mutants displayed two distinct transitions with T(m) values of 37-38 and 52-54 degrees C, similar to that observed for EDTA-treated wild-type ShhN. Addition of zinc to the H140A and D147A mutants resulted in a partial restoration of stability against thermal and GuHCl denaturation. The ability of these mutants to bind zinc was confirmed using a fluorescence-based binding assay that indicated that they bound zinc with K(d) values of approximately 1.6 and approximately 15 nM, respectively, as compared to a value of </=100 pM for wild-type ShhN. The properties of the E176A mutant were indistinguishable from those of wild-type ShhN in all biophysical and functional assays, indicating that this residue does not contribute significantly to stabilization of the zinc-binding site and that ShhN does not require hydrolase activity for in vitro biological function.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗

PubMed1999

ELISA methods for the analysis of antibody responses induced in multiple sclerosis patients treated with recombinant interferon-beta.

Upon treatment with protein therapeutics, a subset of patients will typically develop antibodies against the drug. These anti-drug antibodies can be of concern because they have the potential to alter the drug's therapeutic activity. In the case of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients receiving recombinant interferon-beta (IFN-beta), those receiving BETASERON (IFN-beta-1b; E. coli expressed, non-glycosylated, des-Met-1, Cys17Ser recombinant IFN-beta) have a higher incidence of IFN-beta specific antibodies compared to those receiving AVONEX (IFN-beta-1a; mammalian cell-expressed, natural sequence, glycosylated recombinant IFN-beta). The current study reports the development and characterization of ELISAs that detect distinct components of the anti-IFN-beta response in patients' sera, and therefore can potentially be used to characterize the composition of the anti-IFN-beta antibody response. ELISAs were developed using a constant detecting reagent but a variety of IFN-beta-derived test antigens (e.g., native IFN-beta, biotinylated IFN-beta, IFN-beta peptides) and capture methods. Assays were characterized using serum samples from a small number of patients treated with recombinant IFN-beta (either BETASERON or AVONEX). Assays in which IFN-beta was captured via a specific mAb, or in which biotinylated IFN-beta was captured via streptavidin, detected serum antibodies that recognize IFN-beta in its native structural state. In contrast, assays in which IFN-beta was coated directly onto the assay plates detected antibodies that recognize forms of IFN-beta possessing a folded structure distinct from the native structure. Certain epitopes present on native IFN-beta were not represented in these assays in which the test antigen was directly coated on plastic. Antibodies specific for linear epitopes could be detected using linear peptides as test antigens; the locations of these epitopes were mapped by reference to the X-ray crystal structure of IFN-beta-1a. Together, these data show that the mode of antigen presentation employed in IFN-beta ELISAs determines which antibody specificities are detected, and can affect whether or not a given serum sample is identified as positive for anti-IFN-beta antibodies. As a consequence, screening samples in a single ELISA format presenting IFN-beta in a non-native form may lead to underestimation of the incidence of IFN-beta treated MS patients that have generated antibodies specific to the native, active form of the drug.

Antibodies↗

PubMed1999

Multiple activation states of integrin alpha4beta1 detected through their different affinities for a small molecule ligand.

We have used the highly specific alpha4beta1 inhibitor 4-((N'-2-methylphenyl)ureido)-phenylacetyl-leucine-aspartic acid-valine-proline (BIO1211) as a model LDV-containing ligand to study alpha4beta1 integrin-ligand interactions on Jurkat cells under diverse conditions that affect the activation state of alpha4beta1. Observed KD values for BIO1211 binding ranged from a value of 20-40 nM in the non-activated state of the integrin that exists in 1 mM Mg2+, 1 mM Ca2+ to 100 pM in the activated state seen in 2 mM Mn2+ to 18 pM when binding was measured after co-activation by 2 mM Mn2+ plus 10 microgram/ml of the integrin-activating monoclonal antibody TS2/16. The large range in KD values was governed almost exclusively by differences in the dissociation rates of the integrin-BIO1211 complex, which ranged from 0.17 x 10(-4) s-1 to >140 x 10(-4) s-1. Association rate constants varied only slightly under the same conditions, all falling in the narrow range from 0.9 to 2.7 x 10(6) M-1 s-1. The further increase in affinity observed upon co-activation by divalent cations and TS2/16 compared with that observed at saturating concentrations of metal ions or TS2/16 alone indicates that the mechanism by which these factors bring about activation are distinct and identified a previously unrecognized high affinity state on alpha4beta1 that had not been detected by conventional assay methods. Similar changes in affinity were observed when the binding properties of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 and CS1 to alpha4beta1 were studied, indicating that the different affinity states detected with BIO1211 are an inherent property of the integrin.

Cations, Divalent↗

PubMed1999

Induced fit activation mechanism of the exceptionally specific serine protease, complement factor D.

We have investigated the mechanism by which the complement protease, Factor D, achieves its high specificity for the cleavage of Factor B in complex with C3(H2O). Kinetic experiments showed that Factor B and C3(H2O) associate with a KD of >/=2.5 microM and that Factor D acts on this complex with a second-order rate constant of kcat/KM >/= 2 x 10(6) M-1 s-1, close to the rate of a diffusion-controlled reaction for proteins of this size. In contrast, Factor D, which is a member of the trypsin family of serine proteases, was 10(3)-10(4)-fold less active than trypsin toward both thioester and p-nitroanilide substrates containing an arginine at P1. Furthermore, peptides spanning the Factor B cleavage site were not detectably cleaved by Factor D (kcat/KM </= 0.5 M-1 s-1). These results imply that contacts between Factor D and the C3(H2O)B complex, outside the vicinity of the cleavage site in Factor B, generate >/=9 kcal/mol of binding energy to stabilize the transition state for reaction. In support of this, we demonstrate that chemical modification of Factor D at a single lysine residue that is distant from the active site abolishes the activity of the enzyme toward Factor B while not affecting activity toward small synthetic substrates. We propose that Factor D may exemplify a special case of the induced fit mechanism in which the requirement for conformational activation of the enzyme results in a substantial increase in substrate specificity.

Acetylation↗

PubMed1999

Small molecule cytokine mimetics.

A number of reports describe small peptides, and even bona fide small organic molecules, that activate homodimeric cytokine receptors and show cytokine-like activity in vitro and in vivo. These cases can be examined in light of the mechanistic and thermodynamic principles that govern cytokine-receptor activation.

Cytokines↗

PubMed1999

Low affinity binding of an LFA-3/IgG1 fusion protein to CD2+ T cells is independent of cell activation.

Quantitative analysis of binding of the bivalent recombinant soluble fusion protein, LFA-3/IgG1, shows that the fusion protein binds to human CD2+ PBLs primarily through low affinity (KD approximately 140 microM) but also through high avidity (90 nM) interactions. The concentration dependence for LFA-3/IgG1 PBL binding took the form of two overlapping bell-shaped curves separated by a clear and reproducible minimum. This was accounted for in part by minor heterogeneity in the LFA-3/IgG1 preparations, and potentially by the ability of the ligand to bind to both CD2 and Fc receptors (FcR), best evidenced by the distinct binding properties of the fusion protein to NK and T cells. The low affinity LFA-3/ IgG1 binding to T cells is consistent with binding to CD2 only, and is in agreement with the low affinity reported for interactions between soluble forms of LFA-3 and CD2 by surface plasmon resonance technology. Moreover, as the low affinity determinations are similar for CD2 on resting and activated T cells, although the CD2 molecule has been reported to be altered to reveal new epitopes upon T cell activation, the binding data argue against multiple cell activation-dependent affinity states of CD2 for LFA-3 binding. This is distinct from that observed with other adhesion partners, and suggests that the different adhesion pathways utilize distinct mechanisms to mediate cell adhesion.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Interaction affinity between cytokine receptor components on the cell surface.

The anti-common gamma chain (gammac) mAb CP.B8 is shown to inhibit interleukin 4 (IL-4)-dependent proliferation of phytohemagglutinin (PHA) activated T cells noncompetitively with respect to cytokine by blocking the IL-4-induced heterodimerization of IL-4Ralpha and gammac receptor chains. Affinities for the binding of IL-4 to Cos-7 cells transfected with huIL-4Ralpha, and to PHA blasts expressing both IL-4Ralpha and gammac, were used to estimate the affinity of the key interaction between gammac and the binary IL-4Ralpha.IL-4 complex on the cell surface. This affinity was defined in terms of the dimensionless ratio [IL-4Ralpha.IL-4.gammac]/[IL-4Ralpha.IL-4], which we designate KR. The results show that on PHA blasts this interaction is relatively weak; KR approximately 9, implying that approximately 10% of the limiting IL-4Ralpha chain remains free of gammac even at saturating concentrations of IL-4. This quantitative treatment establishes KR as a key measure of the coupling between ligand binding and receptor activation, providing a basis for functional distinctions between different receptors that are activated by ligand-induced receptor dimerization.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

The murine anti-human common gamma chain monoclonal antibody CP.B8 blocks the second step in the formation of the intermediate affinity IL-2 receptor.

A murine monoclonal antibody, CP.B8, specific for the extracellular portion of the human common gamma (gammac) chain, and its Fab fragment are shown to block the binding of IL-2 to COS-7 cells transfected with the cDNA for the full-length IL-2 receptor beta (IL-2Rbeta) and gammac chains, components which together comprise the intermediate affinity IL-2 receptor (IL-2R) expressed on the surface of resting T cells, NK cells, and on certain intestinal epithelial cells. To investigate the mechanism of this inhibition, the extracellular portions of the IL-2Rbeta and gammac chains were expressed and purified, and their interactions with each other and with IL-2 were studied by gel filtration and by surface plasmon resonance (SPR). By gel filtration, a stable ternary complex was formed by association of the three proteins, while no stable binary complexes were detected between any two of the three proteins. By SPR analysis, IL-2 was shown to associate rapidly with IL-2Rbeta, forming a binary complex with an equilibrium dissociation constant (Kd) of 800 nM, which permitted subsequent association of the gammac chain. Dissociation of the IL-2/IL-2Rbeta/gammac chain complex was significantly slower than dissociation of the IL-2/IL-2Rbeta complex. Using these model systems, we tested the ability of mAb CP.B8 to inhibit the association of the gammac chain with IL-2 and IL-2Rbeta. By gel filtration, mAb CP.B8 formed a stable complex with the gammac chain, preventing its association with IL-2 and IL-2Rbeta. MAb CP.B8 was also capable of dissociating the gammac chain already complexed with IL-2 and IL-2Rbeta. SPR analysis confirmed these findings and showed, in addition, that the Fab fragment of CP.B8 was also capable of inhibiting the association of the gammac chain with the IL-2/IL-2Rbeta complex. We conclude that mAb CP.B8 blocks the second step in the formation of the intermediate affinity IL-2R on the surface of transfected COS-7 cells by binding at or close to a region on the gammac chain that is involved in contact with IL-2 and/or IL-2Rbeta.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1998

Inhibitory specificity of the anti-inflammatory myxoma virus serpin, SERP-1.

SERP-1 is a myxoma virus-encoded serpin, secreted from infected cells, that is required for virulence and has anti-inflammatory activity. We report that purified recombinant SERP-1 forms SDS-stable complexes with urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA), tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA), plasmin, thrombin, and factor Xa. N-terminal sequencing confirmed Arg319-Asn320 as the site of reaction. Mutation of these residues to Ala-Ala abolished inhibitory activity but had no effect on the specific cleavage at Thr315-Leu316 seen with elastase and with cathepsin G. Kinetic analysis of the reactions with uPA, tPA, plasmin, thrombin, Xa, and C1s showed second-order rate constants to vary over 3 logs, from kinh = 3 x 10(5) M-1 s-1 with thrombin to approximately 600 M-1 s-1 with C1s, while steady-state inhibition constants ranged from KI = 10 pM with thrombin to approximately 100 nM with C1s. Stoichiometries of inhibition varied between SI = 1.4 +/- 0.1 for uPA to SI = 13 +/- 3 for thrombin. Analysis of the variations in inhibition kinetics shows that when serpins act at low concentrations, comparable with the target protease or with KI (as appears likely for SERP-1 in vivo), inhibitory specificity becomes less dominated by kinh and is increasingly dependent on partitioning within the branched reaction mechanism and on the lifetime of the inhibited complex.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1998

The structure of human interferon-beta: implications for activity.

Interferons (IFNs) are potent extracellular protein mediators of host defence and homoeostasis. This article reviews the structure of human IFN-beta (HuIFN-beta), in particular in relation to its activity. The recently determined crystal structure of HuIFN-beta provides a framework for understanding of the mechanism of differentiation of type I IFNs by their common receptor. Insights are generated by comparison with the structures of other type I IFNs and from the interpretation of existing mutagenesis data. The details of the observed carbohydrate structure, together with biochemical data, implicate the glycosylation of HuIFN-beta, which is uncommon among type I IFNs, as an important factor in the solubility, stability and, consequently, activity of the protein. Finally, these structural implications are discussed in the context of the clinical use of HuIFN-beta.

Crystallography, X-Ray↗

PubMed1998

Structural and functional differences between glycosylated and non-glycosylated forms of human interferon-beta (IFN-beta).

PURPOSE: Two recombinant IFN-beta products have been approved for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, a glycosylated form with the predicted natural amino acid sequence (IFN-beta-1a) and a non-glycosylated form that has a Met-1 deletion and a Cys-17 to Ser mutation (IFN-beta-1b). The structural basis for activity differences between IFN-beta-1a and IFN-beta-1b, is determined. METHODS: In vitro antiviral, antiproliferative and immunomodulatory assays were used to directly compare the two IFN-beta products. Size exclusion chromatography (SEC), SDS-PAGE, thermal denaturation, and X-ray crystallography were used to examine structural differences. RESULTS: IFN-beta-1a was 10 times more active than IFN-beta-1b with specific activities in a standard antiviral assay of 20 x 10(7) IU/mg for IFN-beta-1a and 2 x 10(7) IU/mg for IFN-beta-1b. Of the known structural differences between IFN-beta-1a and IFN-beta-1b, only glycosylation affected in vitro activity. Deglycosylation of IFN-beta-1a produced a decrease in total activity that was primarily caused by the formation of an insoluble disulfide-linked IFN precipitate. Deglycosylation also resulted in an increased sensitivity to thermal denaturation. SEC data for IFN-beta-1b revealed large, soluble aggregates that had reduced antiviral activity (approximated at 0.7 x 10(7) IU/mg). Crystallographic data for IFN-beta-1a revealed that the glycan formed H-bonds with the peptide backbone and shielded an uncharged surface from solvent exposure. CONCLUSIONS: Together these results suggest that the greater biological activity of IFN-beta-1a is due to a stabilizing effect of the carbohydrate on structure.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗

PubMed1997

Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor-dependent RET activation can be mediated by two different cell-surface accessory proteins.

Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF)-dependent activation of the tyrosine kinase receptor RET is necessary for kidney and enteric neuron development, and mutations in RET are associated with human diseases. Activation of RET by GDNF has been shown to require an accessory component, GDNFR-alpha (RETL1). We report the isolation and characterization of rat and human cDNAs for a novel cell-surface associated accessory protein, RETL2, that shares 49% identity with RETL1. Both RETL1 and RETL2 can mediate GDNF dependent phosphorylation of RET, but they exhibit different patterns of expression in fetal and adult tissues. The most striking differences in expression observed were in the adult central and peripheral nervous systems. In addition, the mechanisms by which the two accessory proteins facilitate the activation of RET by GDNF are quite distinct. In vitro binding experiments with soluble forms of RET, RETL1 and RETL2 demonstrate that while RETL1 binds GDNF tightly to form a membrane-associated complex which can then interact with RET, RETL2 only forms a high affinity complex with GDNF in the presence of RET. This strong RET dependence of the binding of RETL2 to GDNF was confirmed by FACS analysis on RETL1 and RETL2 expressing cells. Together with the recent discovery of a GDNF related protein, neurturin, these data raise the possibility that RETL1 and RETL2 have distinctive roles during development and in the nervous system of the adult. RETL1 and RETL2 represent new candidate susceptibility genes and/or modifier loci for RET-associated diseases.

Amino Acid Sequence↗