Isolation and characterization of the potential receptor for wheat germ agglutinin from human neutrophils

Glycoconj J. 2006 Nov;23(7-8):591-8. doi: 10.1007/s10719-006-8635-6.

Abstract

Neutrophils participate in host protection and central to this process is the regulation of oxidative mechanisms. We purified by affinity chromatography the receptor for the GlcNAc-specific WGA from CD14+ CD16+ cell lysates (WGAr). The receptor is a 141 kDa glycoprotein constituted by two subunits of 78 and 63 kDa. It is mainly composed of Ser, Asx, and Gly, and, in a minor proportion, His, Cys, and Pro. Its glycan portion contains GlcNAc, Gal, and Man; NeuAc and GalNAc were identified in a minor proportion. The amino acid sequence of the WGA receptor was predicted from tryptic peptides by MALDI-TOF, both subunits showed homology with cytokeratin type II (26 and 29% for the 78 and 63 kDa subunits, respectively); the 78 kDa subunit showed also homology with the human transferrin receptor (24%). Antibodies against WGAr induce higher oxidative burst than WGA, determined by NBT reduction; however, this effect was inhibited (p < 0.05) with GlcNAc suggesting that WGAr participates as mediator in signal transduction in neutrophils.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Granulocytes / metabolism
  • Humans
  • In Vitro Techniques
  • Mice
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Neutrophils / metabolism*
  • Peptide Fragments / chemistry
  • Peptide Fragments / genetics
  • Peptide Fragments / isolation & purification
  • Peptide Mapping
  • Protein Subunits
  • Receptors, Mitogen / blood*
  • Receptors, Mitogen / chemistry
  • Receptors, Mitogen / genetics
  • Receptors, Mitogen / isolation & purification
  • Respiratory Burst
  • Wheat Germ Agglutinins / metabolism*

Substances

  • Peptide Fragments
  • Protein Subunits
  • Receptors, Mitogen
  • Wheat Germ Agglutinins
  • wheat germ agglutinin receptor