Globular-shaped variable lymphocyte receptors B antibody multimerized by a hydrophobic clustering in hagfish

Sci Rep. 2018 Jul 17;8(1):10801. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-29197-w.

Abstract

In hagfish and lampreys, two representative jawless vertebrates, the humoral immunity is directly mediated by variable lymphocyte receptors B (VLRBs). Both monomeric VLRBs are structurally and functionally similar, but their C-terminal tails differ: lamprey VLRB has a Cys-rich tail that forms disulfide-linked pentamers of dimers, contributing to its multivalency, whereas hagfish VLRB has a superhydrophobic tail of unknown structure. Here, we reveal that VLRBs obtained from hagfish plasma have a globular-shaped multimerized form (approximately 0.6 to 1.7 MDa) that is generated by hydrophobic clustering instead of covalent linkage. Electron microscopy (EM) and single-particle analysis showed that the multimerized VLRBs form globular-shaped clusters with an average diameter of 28.7 ± 2.2 nm. The presence of VLRBs in the complex was confirmed by immune-EM analysis using an anti-VLRB antibody. Furthermore, the hydrophobic hagfish C-terminus (HC) was capable of triggering multimerization and directing the cellular surface localization via a glycophosphatidylinositol linkage. Our results strongly suggest that the hagfish VLRB forms a previously unknown globular-shaped antibody. This novel identification of a structurally unusual VLRB complex may suggest that the adaptive immune system of hagfish differs from that of lamprey.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies / chemistry
  • Antibodies / genetics
  • Antibodies / metabolism*
  • Blood Proteins / chemistry
  • Blood Proteins / metabolism
  • Cell Membrane / metabolism
  • Hagfishes / metabolism*
  • Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions
  • Immunoglobulins / chemistry
  • Immunoglobulins / genetics
  • Immunoglobulins / metabolism*
  • Lampreys / metabolism
  • Lymphocytes / cytology
  • Lymphocytes / metabolism*
  • Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
  • Protein Multimerization
  • Recombinant Proteins / biosynthesis
  • Recombinant Proteins / chemistry
  • Recombinant Proteins / isolation & purification

Substances

  • Antibodies
  • Blood Proteins
  • Immunoglobulins
  • Recombinant Proteins