Mark W. Rixon

Structure of FcγRI in complex with Fc reveals the importance of glycan recognition for high-affinity IgG binding

Significance Fc gamma receptor I (FcγRI) contributes to protective immunity against bacterial infections, but exacerbates certain autoimmune diseases. It is the sole high-affinity receptor for IgG and plays a significant role in immunotherapy. To date, there is no structural information available on how the receptor recognizes its antibody ligands, however. Consequently, the mechanism of its high-affinity IgG binding remains unclear. We report the first structure of the high-affinity Fc receptor in complex with IgG-Fc. The structural work reveals a direct receptor recognition of Fc glycan as a major factor in receptor affinity. This is the first example of Fc receptor making direct glycan contact through protein residues. The results have implications for the use of glycan engineering in immunotherapy. Fc gamma receptor I (FcγRI) contributes to protective immunity against bacterial infections, but exacerbates certain autoimmune diseases. The sole high-affinity IgG receptor, FcγRI plays a significant role in immunotherapy. To elucidate the molecular mechanism of its high-affinity IgG binding, we determined the crystal structure of the extracellular domains of human FcγRI in complex with the Fc domain of human IgG1. FcγRI binds to the Fc in a similar mode as the low-affinity FcγRII and FcγRIII receptors. In addition to many conserved contacts, FcγRI forms additional hydrogen bonds and salt bridges with the lower hinge region of Fc. Unique to the high-affinity receptor-Fc complex, however, is the conformation of the receptor D2 domain FG loop, which enables a charged KHR motif to interact with proximal carbohydrate units of the Fc glycans. Both the length and the charge of the FcγRI FG loop are well conserved among mammalian species. Ala and Glu mutations of the FG loop KHR residues showed significant contributions of His-174 and Arg-175 to antibody binding, and the loss of the FG loop–glycan interaction resulted in an ∼20- to 30-fold decrease in FcγRI affinity to all three subclasses of IgGs. Furthermore, deglycosylation of IgG1 resulted in a 40-fold loss in FcγRI binding, demonstrating involvement of the receptor FG loop in glycan recognition. These results highlight a unique glycan recognition in FcγRI function and open potential therapeutic avenues based on antibody glycan engineering or small molecular glycan mimics to target FcγRI for certain autoimmune diseases.

Interleukin (IL) 31 induces in cynomolgus monkeys a rapid and intense itch response that can be inhibited by an IL-31 neutralizing antibody

Overexpression or administration of interleukin 31 (IL‐31) has been shown to induce a profound itch response in mice and dogs. The chronic pruritus observed in mouse IL‐31 transgenic mice results in the development of skin lesions and alopecia through excoriation from excessive scratching, a condition similar to that observed in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD).

Generation and characterization of human anti-human IL-21 neutralizing monoclonal antibodies

Interleukin-21 (IL-21) is a type I four-helical bundle cytokine that exerts a variety of significant effects on many hematopoietic cells, including T and B lymphocytes and natural killer cells. IL-21 is produced predominantly by CD4+ T cells and natural killer T cells and, when aberrantly overexpressed, appears to play important roles in a wide variety of autoimmune disorders. To generate potential therapeutic reagents capable of inhibiting IL-21 for clinical use, we immunized human immunoglobulin transgenic mice with IL-21 and then identified and cloned a panel of human anti-human IL-21 binding monoclonal antibodies. IL-21 neutralizing and IL-21-binding, non-neutralizing antibodies were assigned to distinct epitope “bins” based on surface plasmon resonance competition studies. The most potent neutralizing antibodies had extremely high (sub pM) affinity for IL-21 and were able to block IL-21 activity in various biological assays using either an IL-21R-transfected pre-B-cell line or primary human B cells, and their neutralizing activity was, in some cases, superior to that of a soluble form of the high affinity heterodimeric IL-21 receptor. Characterization of this panel of IL-21 antibodies provided the basis for the selection of a therapeutic candidate antibody capable of inhibiting IL-21 activity for the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.