Assessing the role of Asp 194 in the transmembrane domains of the α-chain of the high-affinity receptor complex for immunoglobulin E in signal transduction

The high-affinity receptor complex for IgE plays a pivotal role in allergic responses since cross-linking of the high-affinity IgE receptor (Fc epsilon RI) on target cells initiates a signaling cascade facilitating release of inflammatory mediators causing allergic responses The transmembrane regions of the ligand binding domains of the high-affinity IgE and low-affinity IgG receptors share an invariant motif (LFAVDTGL) containing a polar aspartate within a predominantly non-polar setting The functional importance of this aspartate residue (D194) in Fc epsilon RI-mediated receptor signaling was assessed by site-directed mutagenesis Rat basophilic leukemia cells (RBL-2H3) transfected with the human IgE binding subunit (Fc epsilon RI alpha) incorporating polar substitutions like asparagine (D194N) or threonine (D194T) resulted in the formation of a functional rat/human chimeric receptor complex When activated via huIgE and antigen cells transfected with these variant receptor subunits supported mediator release intracellular calcium mobilisation and tyrosine phosphorylation of gamma-chain and Syk kinase while a non-polar substitution (D194L) gave rise to cell surface expression of the mutated receptor subunit but failed to initiate downstream signaling No cell surface expression of huFc epsilon RI alpha gene constructs was observed when D194 was replaced with the non-polar Ile (D194I) residue of similar size the larger positively charged Arg (D194R) or lysine (D194K) residues or the negatively charged glutamate (D194E) and smaller polar Ser (D194S) non-polar Ala (D194A) and V (D194V) These observations highlight Importance of the size and charge of amino acid residue at position 194 in determining IgE receptor subunit interactions cell surface localization and initiation of downstream signaling events (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved