How A Protein Protects An Embryo From It’s Mother

The structure of a protein that hides embryos from the immune system of their mothers could help scientists design new immune-suppressing drugs.

AsianScientist (May 25, 2017) – Researchers have uncovered the structure of a protein that protects embryos from being attacked by their mothers’ immune system. These findings, published in the Journal of Immunology, could give rise to new immunosuppressive therapies.

Trophoblasts are cells found in the outer layer of the developing embryo that form part of the placenta. They express a type of protein called human leukocyte antigen G (HLA-G) that interacts with receptors on the maternal cells to suppress immune responses to the embryo during pregnancy.

The structures of HLA-G1, the major form of HLA-G, are well understood. Interestingly, individuals whose cells lack HLA-G1 can still survive gestation and be born healthy. Researchers believe this is because they can express another form, HLA-G2, which should compensate for the loss of the former’s function. However, the structure of HLA-G2 has been largely unknown.

When the team at Hokkaido University investigated the structure of HLA-G2 by single particle electron microscopy, they found that it was completely different from HLA-G1 but was similar to another class of human leukocyte antigens called HLA class II. This surprising finding suggests that the HLA-G gene evolved from the same ancestral gene as HLA class II.

They also found that HLA-G2 make pairs called homodimers which strengthen the binding to the receptors. HLA-G1 is also known to form homodimers but in a different manner. Furthermore, their biochemical analysis revealed that HLA-G2 bound strongly to a leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptor B2 (LILRB2), but not to LILRB1. By contrast, HLA-G1 binds strongly to both receptors.

Previous research by the Hokkaido University team showed that, in addition to its protective role during pregnancy, the HLA-G2 protein had an anti-inflammatory effect when injected into collagen-induced arthritis mice.

“A narrower target specificity of HLA-G2 could be advantageous in developing immunosuppressive drugs with less side-effects. We suggest further investigations to elucidate the structure of the HLA-receptor complex for a more precise understanding of this interaction,” said Professor Katumi Maenaka, corresponding author of the study.



The article can be found at: Kuroki et al. (2017) Class II–like Structural Features and Strong Receptor Binding of the Nonclassical HLA-G2 Isoform Homodimer.

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Source: Hokkaido University; Photo: Shutterstock.
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