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Structural basis for ligand and innate immunity factor uptake by the trypanosome haptoglobin-haemoglobin receptor.

ABSTRACT: The haptoglobin-haemoglobin receptor (HpHbR) of African trypanosomes allows acquisition of haem and provides an uptake route for trypanolytic factor-1, a mediator of innate immunity against trypanosome infection. In this study, we report the structure of Trypanosoma brucei HpHbR in complex with human haptoglobin-haemoglobin (HpHb), revealing an elongated ligand-binding site that extends along its membrane distal half. This contacts haptoglobin and the ?-subunit of haemoglobin, showing how the receptor selectively binds HpHb over individual components. Lateral mobility of the glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored HpHbR, and a ?50° kink in the receptor, allows two receptors to simultaneously bind one HpHb dimer. Indeed, trypanosomes take up dimeric HpHb at significantly lower concentrations than monomeric HpHb, due to increased ligand avidity that comes from bivalent binding. The structure therefore reveals the molecular basis for ligand and innate immunity factor uptake by trypanosomes and identifies adaptations that allow efficient ligand uptake in the context of the complex trypanosome cell surface.

SUBMITTER: Lane-Serff H

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4383175 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Structural basis for ligand and innate immunity factor uptake by the trypanosome haptoglobin-haemoglobin receptor.

Lane-Serff Harriet H MacGregor Paula P Lowe Edward D ED Carrington Mark M Higgins Matthew K MK

eLife 20141212

The haptoglobin-haemoglobin receptor (HpHbR) of African trypanosomes allows acquisition of haem and provides an uptake route for trypanolytic factor-1, a mediator of innate immunity against trypanosome infection. In this study, we report the structure of Trypanosoma brucei HpHbR in complex with human haptoglobin-haemoglobin (HpHb), revealing an elongated ligand-binding site that extends along its membrane distal half. This contacts haptoglobin and the β-subunit of haemoglobin, showing how the re ...[more]

PMID: 25497229

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Project description:Trypanosoma brucei requires haemoglobin for survival in the mammalian bloodstream. Haptoglobin (Hp), a host protein known to bind haemoglobin, was determined as a key component for haemoglobin acquisition by the parasite. Here, we investigated the impact of haptoglobin deficiency on T. brucei brucei infection and the parasite´s capacity to internalise haemoglobin in the Hp-/- mouse model. The infected Hp-/- mice exhibited normal disease progression, with minimal weight loss and no apparent organ pathology similarly to control mice. While the proteomic profile of mouse sera significantly changed in response to T. b. brucei, no differences in the infection response markers of blood plasma have been observed between Hp-/- and control Black mice. Similarly, very few quantitative differences have been observed between the proteomes of parasites harvested from Hp-/- and Black mice, entailing both endogenous proteins and internalised host proteins. While haptoglobin was indeed absent from parasites isolated from Hp-/-mice, haemoglobin peptides were unexpectedly detected in parasites from both Hp-/- and Black mice. This was verified by western blotting, EM immunolabeling of parasites cryosections, and analytical quantification of haem cofactors in the parasites extracts. Combined, the data support the Hp dispensability for haemoglobin internalisation by T. b. brucei during infection in mice. To further explore this phenomenon, we have generated T. b. brucei haptoglobin-haemoglobin receptor (HpHbR) knock-outs and used them to infect Hp-/- and control mice. The HpHbR-knock-out trypanosomes internalised significantly less haemoglobin from Hp-/- mice compared to those isolated from Black mice strongly suggesting that T. b. brucei employs an HpHbR-independent Hp-mediated mode for haemoglobin internalisation. Our study reveals a so-far hidden flexibility of haemoglobin acquisition by T. b. brucei and offers novel insights into alternative haemoglobin uptake pathways.

Dataset Information

Structural basis for ligand and innate immunity factor uptake by the trypanosome haptoglobin-haemoglobin receptor.

Publications

Structural basis for ligand and innate immunity factor uptake by the trypanosome haptoglobin-haemoglobin receptor.

Similar Datasets

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