A Soluble Form of the High Affinity IgE Receptor, Fc-Epsilon-RI, Circulates in Human Serum

Soluble IgE receptors are potential in vivo modulators of IgE-mediated immune responses and are thus important for our basic understanding of allergic responses. We here characterize a novel soluble version of the IgE-binding alpha-chain of Fc-epsilon-RI (sFcεRI), the high affinity receptor for IgE. sFcεRI immunoprecipitates as a protein of ∼40 kDa and contains an intact IgE-binding site. In human serum, sFcεRI is found as a soluble free IgE receptor as well as a complex with IgE. Using a newly established ELISA, we show that serum sFcεRI levels correlate with serum IgE in patients with elevated IgE. We also show that serum of individuals with normal IgE levels can be found to contain high levels of sFcεRI. After IgE-antigen-mediated crosslinking of surface FcεRI, we detect sFcεRI in the exosome-depleted, soluble fraction of cell culture supernatants. We further show that sFcεRI can block binding of IgE to FcεRI expressed at the cell surface. In summary, we here describe the alpha-chain of FcεRI as a circulating soluble IgE receptor isoform in human serum

Crystal structure of IgE bound to its B-cell receptor CD23 reveals a mechanism of reciprocal allosteric inhibition with high affinity receptor FcεRI

The role of IgE in allergic disease mechanisms is performed principally through its interactions with two receptors, FcεRI on mast cells and basophils, and CD23 (FcεRII) on B cells. The former mediates allergic hypersensitivity, the latter regulates IgE levels, and both receptors, also expressed on antigen-presenting cells, contribute to allergen uptake and presentation to the immune system. We have solved the crystal structure of the soluble lectin-like “head” domain of CD23 (derCD23) bound to a subfragment of IgE-Fc consisting of the dimer of Cε3 and Cε4 domains (Fcε3-4). One CD23 head binds to each heavy chain at the interface between the two domains, explaining the known 2:1 stoichiometry and suggesting mechanisms for cross-linking membrane-bound trimeric CD23 by IgE, or membrane IgE by soluble trimeric forms of CD23, both of which may contribute to the regulation of IgE synthesis by B cells. The two symmetrically located binding sites are distant from the single FcεRI binding site, which lies at the opposite ends of the Cε3 domains. Structural comparisons with both free IgE-Fc and its FcεRI complex reveal not only that the conformational changes in IgE-Fc required for CD23 binding are incompatible with FcεRI binding, but also that the converse is true. The two binding sites are allosterically linked. We demonstrate experimentally the reciprocal inhibition of CD23 and FcεRI binding in solution and suggest that the mutual exclusion of receptor binding allows IgE to function independently through its two receptors