IgE-binding protein (epsilon BP) refers to a protein originally identified in rat basophilic leukemia cells by virtue of its affinity for IgE. It is now known to be a beta-galactoside-binding lectin equivalent to carbohydrate-binding protein 35 (CBP 35). More recently, its identity to Mac-2, a macrophage cell-surface protein, has been established. cDNA coding for human epsilon BP has been cloned from a human HeLa cell cDNA library and contains an open reading frame of 750 base pairs encoding a 250 amino acid protein. Like the rat and murine counterparts, the human epsilon BP amino acid sequence can be divided into two domains with the amino-terminal domain consisting of a highly conserved repetitive sequence (YPGXXXPGA) and the carboxyl-terminal domain containing sequences shared by other S-type lectins. The human epsilon BP sequence exhibits extensive homology to murine and rat epsilon BP with 84% and 82% identity, respectively. The homology is particularly striking in the carboxyl-terminal domain where 95% identity is found between human and murine sequences in a stretch of over 70 amino acids. A survey of epsilon BP mRNA expression from several lymphocyte cell lines revealed that the level of epsilon BP transcription may reflect a relationship between cell differentiation and epsilon BP expression. Finally, human epsilon BP was purified from several human cell lines and shown to possess lactose-binding characteristics and cross-species reactivity to murine IgE. Surprisingly, three different human myeloma IgE proteins did not show reactivity to human epsilon BP. However, after neuraminidase treatment of each human IgE, pronounced binding to epsilon BP was observed, thereby indicating that only specific IgE glycoforms can be recognized by epsilon BP.

The high affinity immunoglobulin E (IgE) receptor is an alpha beta gamma 2 tetrameric complex. The truncated extracellular segment (alpha t) of the heavily glycosylated alpha chain is sufficient for high affinity binding of IgE. Here we have expressed various alpha t mutants in eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells to analyze the role of glycosylation in the folding, stability, and secretion of alpha t. All seven N-linked glycosylation sites in alpha t are glycosylated and their mutations have an additive effect on the folding and secretion of alpha t. Mutation of the seven N-glycosylation sites (delta 1-7 alpha t) induces misfolding and retention of alpha t in the endoplasmic reticulum. Similarly, tunicamycin treatment reduces substantially the folding efficiency of wild-type alpha t. In contrast, no difference in folding efficiency is detected between wild-type alpha t and delta 1-7 alpha t expressed in Escherichia coli. In addition, maturation of N-linked oligosaccharides and addition of O-linked carbohydrates are not required for either the transport or the IgE-binding function of alpha t. Furthermore, complete enzymatic deglycosylation does not affect the stability and the IgE-binding capacity of alpha t. Therefore, glycosylation is not intrinsically necessary for proper folding of alpha t but is required for folding in the endoplasmic reticulum. Our data are compatible with the concept that specific interactions between N-linked oligosaccharides and the folding machinery of the endoplasmic reticulum are necessary for efficient folding of alpha t in eukaryotic cells.

Binding of the Fc region of IgG antibodies to low affinity Fc gamma receptors (Fc gammaR) triggers important effector functions in the immune system. The type IIIb Fc gammaR (Fc gammaRIIIb or CD16) is a heavily glycosylated protein anchored to the membrane of neutrophils by a glycosylphosphatidylinositol link. This receptor contributes to cell activation by IgG immune complexes. To better understand the nature of the ligand-receptor association, we have studied the affinity and kinetics of the interaction between human IgG subclasses and two soluble forms of Fc gammaRIIIb (sFc gammaRIIIb or sCD16) corresponding to the 188 N-terminal amino acids of the extracellular region of the receptor, a glycosylated one made in eucaryotic cells (euc.sCD16) and a non-glycosylated one (proc.sCD16) made in Escherichia coli. Experiments using a BIAcore instrument, to measure protein binding in real time, showed that monomeric human IgG1 and IgG3, but not IgG2, IgG4, IgA and divalent antigen-binding fragments (F(ab')2) of IgG1, bound to immobilized euc.sCD16 with an affinity constant (K(A)) of 1.3 +/- 0.6 x 10(6) M(-1) and 2.6 +/- 0.4 x 10(5) M(-1), respectively. The affinity constant of proc.sCD16 for human IgG1 was in the same range (1.1 +/- 0.2 x 10(6) M(-1)), whereas that for human IgG3 was twofold higher (4.2 +/- 0.4 x 10(5) M(-1)). The specificity of the non-glycosylated receptor for human IgG subclasses bound to Sepharose was IgG1 > IgG3 >> IgG4 >>> IgG2. Thus, the extracellular polypeptide of Fc gammaRIIIb dictates the interaction of the receptor with IgG subclasses although glycosylation plays an inhibitory role in the interaction with human IgG3.

The high affinity IgE receptor (FcεRI) is a multisubunit complex comprised of either αγ2 or αβγ2 chains. The cotranslational assembly of the IgE-binding α-chain with a dimer of γ-chains occurs in a highly controlled manner and is proposed to involve masking of a dilysine motif present at the cytoplasmic C terminus of the FcεRI α-chain that targets localization of this subunit to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Here, we show that ER quality control modulates export from the ER of newly synthesized αγ2 and αβγ2 receptors. We demonstrate that the presence of untrimmed N-linked core glycans (Glc3Man9GlcNAc2) on the FcεRI α-chain activates the ER quality control mechanism to retain this subunit in the ER, despite the presence of γ-chains. At the same time, the untrimmed, ER-localized α-chain exhibits IgE-binding activity, suggesting that FcεRI α-chain folding occurs before constitutive glucose trimming. In additional experiments, we demonstrate that cell surface expression of an α-chain C-terminal truncation mutant is also dependent on glucose trimming, but not on γ-chain coexpression. We suggest that glucosidase trimming of terminal glucose residues is a critical control step in the export of FcεRIα from the ER. Finally, we show that the constitutive ER FcεRI α-chain, expressed in the absence of the other FcεRI subunits, associates with the ER lectin-like chaperone calnexin, but not the structurally similar ER chaperone calreticulin, presumably through interaction with monoglucosylated α-chain ER glycoforms.