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Infection and Immunity, March 2003, p. 1462-1469, Vol. 71, No. 3
0019-9567/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/IAI.71.3.1462-1469.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Amino Acid Sequence Requirements in the Hinge of Human Immunoglobulin A1 (IgA1) for Cleavage by Streptococcal IgA1 Proteases

Margaret R. Batten,1 Bernard W. Senior,1 Mogens Kilian,2 and Jenny M. Woof1*

Department of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, University of Dundee Medical School, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee DD1 9SY, United Kingdom,1 Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Aarhus, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark2

Received 19 August 2002/ Returned for modification 14 November 2002/ Accepted 27 November 2002

The amino acid sequence requirements in the hinge of human immunoglobulin A1 (IgA1) for cleavage by IgA1 proteases of different species of Streptococcus were investigated. Recombinant IgA1 antibodies were generated with point mutations at proline 227 and threonine 228, the residues lying on either side of the peptide bond at which all streptococcal IgA1 proteases cleave wild-type human IgA1. The amino acid substitutions produced no major effect upon the structure of the mutant IgA1 antibodies or their functional ability to bind to Fc{alpha} receptors. However, the substitutions had a substantial effect upon sensitivity to cleavage with some streptococcal IgA1 proteases, with, in some cases, a single point mutation rendering the antibody resistant to a particular IgA1 protease. This effect was least marked with the IgA1 protease from Streptococcus pneumoniae, which showed no absolute requirement for either proline or threonine at residues 227 to 228. By contrast, the IgA1 proteases of Streptococcus oralis, Streptococcus sanguis, and Streptococcus mitis had an absolute requirement for proline at 227 but not for threonine at 228, which could be replaced by valine. There was evidence in S. mitis that proteases from different strains may have different amino acid requirements for cleavage. Remarkably, some streptococcal proteases appeared able to cleave the hinge at a distant alternative site if substitution prevented efficient cleavage of the original site. Hence, this study has identified key residues required for the recognition of the IgA1 hinge as a substrate by streptococcal IgA1 proteases, and it marks a preliminary step towards development of specific enzyme inhibitors.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, University of Dundee Medical School, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee DD1 9SY, United Kingdom. Phone: 44 1382 660111, ext. 33540. Fax: 44 1382 633952. E-mail: j.m.woof{at}dundee.ac.uk.

Editor: J. T. Barbieri

Infection and Immunity, March 2003, p. 1462-1469, Vol. 71, No. 3
0019-9567/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/IAI.71.3.1462-1469.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



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