Fc galactosylation promotes hexamerization of human IgG1, leading to enhanced classical complement activation

Human IgG contains one evolutionarily conserved N-linked glycan in its Fc region at position 297. This glycan is crucial for Fc-mediated functions, including its induction of the classical complement cascade. This is induced after target recognition through the IgG-Fab regions, allowing neighboring IgG-Fc tails to associate through Fc:Fc interaction, ultimately leading to hexamer formation. This hexamerization seems crucial for IgG to enable efficient interaction with the globular heads of the first complement component C1q and subsequent complement activation. In this study, we show that galactose incorporated in the IgG1-Fc enhances C1q binding, C4, C3 deposition, and complement-dependent cellular cytotoxicity in human erythrocytes and Raji cells. IgG1-Fc sialylation slightly enhanced binding of C1q, but had little effect on downstream complement activation. Using various mutations that decrease or increase hexamerization capacity of IgG1, we show that IgG1-Fc galactosylation has no intrinsic effect on C1q binding to IgG1, but enhances IgG1 hexamerization potential and, thereby, complement activation. These data suggest that the therapeutic potential of Abs can be amplified without introducing immunogenic mutations, by relatively simple glycoengineering.Proteomic

Afucosylated IgG characterizes enveloped viral responses and correlates with COVID-19 severity

Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies are crucial for protection against invading pathogens. A highly conserved N-linked glycan within the IgG-Fc tail, which is essential for IgG function, shows variable composition in humans. Afucosylated IgG variants are already used in anticancer therapeutic antibodies for their increased activity through Fc receptors (Fc gamma RIIIa). Here, we report that afucosylated IgG (approximately 6% of total IgG in humans) are specifically formed against enveloped viruses but generally not against other antigens. This mediates stronger Fc gamma RIIIa responses but also amplifies brewing cytokine storms and immune-mediated pathologies. Critically ill COVID-19 patients, but not those with mild symptoms, had high concentrations of afucosylated IgG antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), amplifying proinflammatory cytokine release and acute phase responses. Thus, antibody glycosylation plays a critical role in immune responses to enveloped viruses, including COVID-19.Proteomic

Detection of conformational changes in immunoglobulin G using isothermal titration calorimetry with low molecular weight probes

Proteins for therapeutic use may contain small amounts of partially misfolded monomeric precursors to postproduction aggregation. To detect these misfolded proteins in the presence of an excess of properly folded protein, fluorescent probes such as 8-anilino-1-naphthalene sulfonate (ANS) are commonly used. We investigated the possibility of using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) to improve the detection of this type of conformational change using hydrophobic probes. As a case study, conformational changes in human polyclonal immunoglobulin G (IgG) were monitored by measuring the enthalpies of binding of ANS using ITC. Results were compared with those using fluorescence spectroscopy. IgG heated at 63 degrees C was used as a model system for "damaged" IgG. Heat-treated IgG can be detected already at levels below 5% with both ITC and fluorescence. However, ITC allows a much wider molar probe-to-protein ratio to be sampled. In particular, using reverse titration experiments (allowing high probe-to-protein ratios not available to fluorescence spectroscopy), an increase in the number of binding sites with a K(d)>10 mM was observed for heat-treated IgG, reflecting subtle changes in structure. Both ITC and fluorescence spectroscopy showed low background signals for native IgG. The nature of the background signals was not clear from the fluorescence measurements. However, further analysis of the ITC background signals shows that a fraction (8%) binds ANS with a dissociation constant of approximately 0.2 mM. Measurements were also carried out at pH 4.5. Precipitation of IgG was induced by ANS at concentrations above 0.5 mM, interfering with the ITC measurements. Instead, with the nonfluorescent probes 4-amino-1-naphthalene sulfonate and 1-naphthalene sulfonate, no precipitation is observed. These probes yield differences in the enthalpies of binding to heated and nonheated IgG similar to ANS. The data illustrate that ITC with low-molecular-weight probes is a versatile tool to monitor conformational changes in proteins with a wider application potential than fluorescence measurements

Human DC-SIGN and CD23 do not interact with human IgG

Proteomic

At Critically Low Antigen Densities, IgM Hexamers Outcompete Both IgM Pentamers and IgG1 for Human Complement Deposition and Complement-Dependent Cytotoxicity

IgM is secreted as a pentameric polymer containing a peptide called the joining chain (J chain). However, integration of the J chain is not required for IgM assembly and in its absence IgM predominantly forms hexamers. The conformations of pentameric and hexameric IgM are remarkably similar with a hexagonal arrangement in solution. Despite these similarities, hexameric IgM has been reported to be a more potent complement activator than pentameric IgM, but reported relative potencies vary across different studies. Because of these discrepancies, we systematically investigated human IgM-mediated complement activation. We recombinantly generated pentameric and hexameric human IgM (IgM+J and IgM-J, respectively) mAbs and measured their ability to induce complement deposition and complement-dependent cytotoxicity when bound to several Ags at varying densities. At high Ag densities, hexameric and pentameric IgM activate complement to a similar extent as IgG1. However, at low densities, hexameric IgM outcompeted pentameric IgM and even more so IgG1. These differences became progressively more pronounced as antigenic density became critically low. Our findings highlight that the differential potency of hexameric and pentameric IgM for complement activation is profoundly dependent on the nature of its interactions with Ag. Furthermore, it underscores the importance of IgM in immunity because it is a more potent complement activator than IgG1 at low Ag densities.Pathophysiology and treatment of rheumatic disease

Unique patterns of glycosylation in immunoglobulin subclass G4-related disease and primary sclerosing cholangitis

Proteomic

Immunoassay for quantification of antigen-specific IgG fucosylation

Background Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies serve a crucial immuno-protective function mediated by IgG Fc receptors (Fc gamma R). Absence of fucose on the highly conserved N-linked glycan in the IgG Fc domain strongly enhances IgG binding and activation of myeloid and natural killer (NK) cell Fc gamma Rs. Although afucosylated IgG can provide increased protection (malaria and HIV), it also boosts immunopathologies in alloimmune diseases, COVID-19 and dengue fever. Quantifying IgG fucosylation currently requires sophisticated methods such as liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and extensive analytical skills reserved to highly specialized laboratories. Methods Here, we introduce the Fucose-sensitive Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for Antigen-Specific IgG (FEASI), an immunoassay capable of simultaneously quantitating and qualitatively determining IgG responses. FEASI is a two-tier immunoassay; the first assay is used to quantify antigen-specific IgG (IgG ELISA), while the second gives Fc gamma RIIIa binding-dependent readout which is highly sensitive to both the IgG quantity and the IgG Fc fucosylation (Fc gamma R-IgG ELISA). Findings IgG Fc fucosylation levels, independently determined by LC-MS and FEASI, in COVID-19 responses to the spike (S) antigen, correlated very strongly by simple linear regression (R-2=0.93, p < 0.0001). The FEASI method was then used to quantify IgG levels and fucosylation in COVID-19 convalescent plasma which was independently validated by LC-MS. Interpretation FEASI can be reliably implemented to measure relative and absolute IgG Fc fucosylation and quantify binding of antigen-specific IgG to Fc gamma R in a high-throughput manner accessible to all diagnostic and research laboratories. Copyright (c) 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)Proteomic

Differences in IgG autoantibody Fab glycosylation across autoimmune diseases

Background: Increased prevalence of autoantibody Fab glycosylation has been demonstrated for several autoimmune diseases. Objectives: To study whether elevated Fab glycosylation is a common feature of autoimmunity, this study investigated Fab glycosylation levels on serum IgG and its subclasses for autoantibodies associated with a range of different B cell- mediated autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, myasthenia gravis subtypes, pemphigus vulgaris, antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis, systemic lupus erythematosus, anti-glomerular basement membrane glomerulonephritis, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, and Guillain-Barre ⠁ syndrome. Methods: The level of Fab glycosylated IgG antibodies was assessed by lectin affinity chromatography and autoantigen-specific immunoassays. Results: In 6 of 10 autoantibody responses, in 5 of 8 diseases, the investigators found increased levels of Fab glycosylation on IgG autoantibodies that varied from 86% in rheumatoid arthritis to 26% in systemic lupus erythematosus. Elevated autoantibody Fab glycosylation was not restricted to IgG4, which is known to be prone to Fab glycosylation, but was also present in IgG1. When autoimmune diseases with a chronic disease course were compared with more acute autoimmune illnesses, increased Fab glycosylation was restricted to the chronic diseases. As a proxy for chronic autoantigen exposure, the investigators determined Fab glycosylation levels on antibodies to common latent herpes viruses, as well as to glycoprotein 120 in individuals who are chronically HIV-1-infected. Immunity to these viral antigens was not associated with increased Fab glycosylation levels, indicating that chronic antigen-stimulation as such does not lead to increased Fab glycosylation levels. Conclusions: These data indicate that in chronic but not acute B cell-mediated autoimmune diseases, disease-specific autoantibodies are enriched for Fab glycans. (J Allergy Clin Immunol 2023;151:16 46-54.)Pathophysiology and treatment of rheumatic disease