The IgG3 subclass of β1-adrenergic receptor autoantibodies is an endogenous biaser of β1AR signaling

Mol Biol Cell. 2021 Apr 1;32(7):622-633. doi: 10.1091/mbc.E20-06-0394. Epub 2021 Feb 3.

Abstract

Dysregulation of immune responses has been linked to the generation of immunoglobulin G (IgG) autoantibodies that target human β1ARs and contribute to deleterious cardiac outcomes. Given the benefits of β-blockers observed in patients harboring the IgG3 subclass of autoantibodies, we investigated the role of these autoantibodies in human β1AR function. Serum and purified IgG3(+) autoantibodies from patients with onset of cardiomyopathy were tested using human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells expressing human β1ARs. Unexpectedly, pretreatment of cells with IgG3(+) serum or purified IgG3(+) autoantibodies impaired dobutamine-mediated adenylate cyclase (AC) activity and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) generation while enhancing biased β-arrestin recruitment and Extracellular Regulated Kinase (ERK) activation. In contrast, the β-blocker metoprolol increased AC activity and cAMP in the presence of IgG3(+) serum or IgG3(+) autoantibodies. Because IgG3(+) autoantibodies are specific to human β1ARs, non-failing human hearts were used as an endogenous system to determine their ability to bias β1AR signaling. Consistently, metoprolol increased AC activity, reflecting the ability of the IgG3(+) autoantibodies to bias β-blocker toward G-protein coupling. Importantly, IgG3(+) autoantibodies are specific toward β1AR as they did not alter β2AR signaling. Thus, IgG3(+) autoantibody biases β-blocker toward G-protein coupling while impairing agonist-mediated G-protein activation but promoting G-protein-independent ERK activation. This phenomenon may underlie the beneficial outcomes observed in patients harboring IgG3(+) β1AR autoantibodies.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Autoantibodies / blood
  • Autoantibodies / immunology*
  • Cardiomyopathies / immunology
  • Cardiomyopathies / physiopathology
  • Cyclic AMP
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Heart / physiology
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin G / immunology*
  • Immunoglobulin G / metabolism
  • Receptors, Adrenergic / immunology
  • Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-1 / immunology*
  • Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-1 / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction
  • beta-Arrestins

Substances

  • Autoantibodies
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Receptors, Adrenergic
  • Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-1
  • beta-Arrestins
  • Cyclic AMP