Infiltration of monocytes into the arterial wall is an early cellular event in atherogenesis. Recent evidence shows that C-reactive protein (CRP) is deposited in the arterial intima at sites of atherogenesis. In this study, we demonstrate that CRP deposition precedes the appearance of monocytes in early atherosclerotic lesions. CRP is chemotactic for freshly isolated human blood monocytes. A specific CRP receptor is demonstrated on monocytes in vitro as well as in vivo, and blockage of the receptor by use of a monoclonal anti-receptor antibody completely abolishes CRP-induced chemotaxis. CRP may play a major role in the recruitment of monocytes during atherogenesis.

C-reactive protein (CRP) is a pentameric acute phase serum protein composed of identical 206 amino acid subunits that associate by non-covalent bonds. The biological activities ascribed to CRP are initiated by binding ligands via the single PC-binding site within each subunit. CRP binding to PC requires a conformational change in the intact pentraxin triggered by the binding of two free Ca2+ ions per subunit. Residues 134–148 of each subunit were previously implicated by indirect measures as one of the Ca2+-binding sites. In this study, 45Ca2+ autoradiography revealed that fragments of CRP of 6.5 and 16kDa generated by proteolysis between residues 146 and 147 bind Ca2+indicating that a second Ca2+-binding site is located within the C-terminal 60 amino acids. Synthetic peptides corresponding to residues 134–148 and 152–176 both bound 45Ca2+ in equilibrium dialysis experiments with a Kd = 5.2 × 10−4 and 1.7 × 10−4 M, respectively. The addition of Ca2+ to peptide 152–176 induced a shift in the CD-spectra between 210 and 230 nm. Rabbit anti-peptide 152–176 antibody (Ab) inhibited the availability of an epitope within the PC-binding site of CRP recognized by mAb EA4-1. Reactivity of CRP with both anti-peptide 134–148 mAb and anti-peptide 152–176 Ab enhanced the expression of the PC-binding site epitope. The results suggest that the two distinct Ca2+ -binding sites within each CRP subunit are composed of residues 134–148 and 152–176 and that these two nearly adjacent sites cooperate to exert an allosteric change in conformation allowing access to the PC-binding site.

C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum amyloid P-component (SAP) are two members of a group of plasma proteins termed pentraxins, which are composed of five identical noncovalently linked subunits that display Ca(2+)-dependent binding to a wide variety of substrates. Purified human SAP binds to CRP, only when the latter is immobilized, in a Ca(2+)-dependent manner under physiological conditions. Externally labeled SAP rapidly binds to two distinct forms of immobilized CRP (direct and phosphorylcholine captured) with a relatively high affinity (KD = 5 nM) at a molar ratio of specifically bound SAP/CRP = 0.3. Studies of binding inhibition using monoclonal antibodies to CRP or synthetic peptides of CRP revealed that residues 134-148 and the COOH-terminal region (residues 191-206) were recognized by SAP. A fragment of CRP consisting of the COOH-terminal 60 residues within each subunit was also selectively bound by SAP. The ability of immobilized CRP to bind SAP was distinguished from CRP's lectin-like binding reactivity since deglycosylated SAP retained its binding reactivity for CRP and sugars that inhibit CRP's lectin-like binding activity failed to inhibit binding. A peptide from trypsin digested SAP composed of residues 144-199 retained CRP binding activity, implicating the COOH-terminal region of SAP as the CRP recognition site.

C-reactive protein (CRP) is a major acute phase reactant in most mammalian species. CRP molecules from all species display Ca2+-dependent binding to phosphorylcholine (PC). The conserved PC-binding region of CRP corresponds to amino acids 51-66 within the human CRP sequence. A synthetic peptide composed of residues 47-63 of human CRP was previously shown to possess PC binding activity. The charged amino acids at positions 57, 58, 60, and 62 of this synthetic peptide were critical for PC-binding based on lower binding activity of synthetic peptides containing uncharged residues at these positions. The PC-binding peptide was used to generate mouse mAb that were tested for reactivity with intact CRP and with the TEPC-15 (T-15) mouse myeloma protein that also binds PC. The PC-binding peptide of CRP was recognized by two mAb specific for the T-15 Id. One of the mAb generated against the PC-binding peptide of CRP (IID6.2) recognized an epitope on the T-15 protein that was also recognized by the near-binding site-specific mAb (F6) to the T-15 PC-Id. Binding of IID6.2 to T-15 myeloma protein was not inhibited by PC and did not require Ca2+; however, binding was inhibited by the synthetic PC-binding peptide itself. Recognition of synthetic peptides containing uncharged amino acid substitutions by mAb F6 and IID6.2 was greatly reduced indicating that the shared epitope on T-15 and CRP was composed of similar charged residues. Therefore, CRP displays the same idiotope as an antibody that shares its specificity for the hapten, PC.

Five mouse mAb were generated against a synthetic peptide corresponding to the proposed Ca(2+)-binding region of human C-reactive protein (CRP). The peptide consists of amino acids 134 to 148 and possesses a calmodulin Ca(2+)-binding sequence. The mAb reacted with a surface epitope(s) on native, intact CRP as well as the closely related pentraxin protein, serum amyloid P-component. Three of the 5 mAb inhibited the Ca(2+)-dependent phosphorylcholine-(PC) binding activity of CRP, but did not bind to the PC-binding region itself. Four of the five mAb also inhibited the recognition of an epitope in the PC-binding site of CRP. Four of the mAb partially, or completely, protected CRP from selective cleavage by pronase between residues 146 and 147. The findings suggest that the Ca(2+)-binding region is on the surface of CRP, has substantial flexibility, and is probably responsible for the allosteric effects of Ca2+ ions on CRP.

A full-length C-reactive protein (CRP) cDNA clone has been isolated from a CBA/J-strain-mouse acute-phase liver library. The 1614-nucleotide cDNA specifies mRNA 5' and 3' untranslated regions of 81 and 858 bases respectively that flank 675 bases encoding mouse pre-CRP. The derived amino acid sequence predicts a 19-residue leader peptide followed by a 206-residue mature mouse CRP that shows considerable sequence identity with both human and rabbit CRP. Northern-blot analysis of mouse liver CRP mRNA concentrations after inflammatory stimuli and comparison with hepatic induction of mRNA for the major mouse acute-phase protein serum amyloid P component established that CRP, a major acute-phase reactant in human and rabbit, is a minor acute-phase reactant in mouse. The size and organization of the mouse CRP mRNA 5' and 3' untranslated regions are significantly different from those of human and rabbit CRP mRNA and may have implications for its anomalous minimal induction during acute inflammation.

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) modified production of the major human acute phase reactant, C-reactive protein (CRP), induced by the inflammatory cytokines, IL-1 beta or IL-6. CRP mRNA accumulation in the hepatoma PLC/PRF/5 cell line was slightly more rapid, but of smaller magnitude in response to IL-1 beta (fourfold increase) than to IL-6 (10-fold increase); however, the amount of CRP protein accumulating in the culture medium was similar for both cytokines. TGF-beta at concentrations greater than or equal to 0.1 pg/ml inhibited the induced IL-1 or IL-6 CRP production; whereas concentrations less than 0.1 pg/ml slightly enhanced CRP synthesis. Addition of TGF-beta to the cultures up to 16 h after the PLC/PRF/5 cells were already exposed to IL-1 or IL-6 resulted in the cessation of CRP production. CRP mRNA accumulated in hepatoma cells treated with both TGF-beta and IL-6, although CRP protein synthesis was inhibited. A similar pattern of inhibition of CRP production by TGF-beta occurred when Hep 3B.2 cells were treated with a mixture of IL-1 and IL-6. Enhanced production of CRP was observed only when TGF-beta was added to the cells before the cytokine. This enhanced CRP response was sensitive to cycloheximide. TGF-beta added along with IL-6 inhibited the metabolic labeling of CRP with [35S]methionine; however, enhanced incorporation of [35S]methionine into CRP was observed when the cells were exposed to TGF-beta before IL-6 addition. Therefore, TGF-beta is potentially a potent regulator of CRP synthesis by hepatocytes at the post-transcriptional level.

Human C-reactive protein (CRP) is an acute phase reactant that is opsonic and an activator of macrophage tumoricidal function. CRP also activates the classical C cascade. These activities suggest that CRP might interact with monocytes/macrophages via specific receptors in a manner analogous to the interaction of IgG with FcR. With the use of radio-labeled human CRP, we have observed specific binding of CRP to human blood monocytes and the human monocytic cell line U-937. Binding was saturable at a pathophysiologic concentration of CRP, with an estimated KD of 9.5 x 10(-8) M and 3.6 x 10(5) binding sites/cell. Specific binding was inhibited by polyclonal human IgG as well as an IgG1 myeloma. In the converse experiment, CRP failed to inhibit specific [125I]IgG binding. The mAb IV.3, which inhibits binding of IgG immune complexes to FcRII, did not inhibit CRP binding. A 100-fold excess of phosphorylcholine or the phosphorylcholine binding peptide of CRP (residues 47-63) failed to inhibit binding. Although human rIFN-gamma and PMA increased FcRI expression, these reagents had no affect on CRP receptor expression. A single membrane protein of 38 to 41 kDa from U-937 cells was chemically cross-linked to [125I]CRP; the cross-linking was inhibited by human IgG1 but not the IV.3 mAb. Furthermore, two membrane proteins with a Mr of 38 to 40 kDa and 58 to 60 kDa were isolated by CRP ligand-affinity chromatography. These proteins were of a distinct size from those isolated for FcRI from an IgG ligand matrix. These studies demonstrate specific binding of human CRP to a human monocytic cell line via receptors that are distinct from the IgG FcR and implicate CRP in nonspecific, preimmune host defense reaction mediated by cells of the monocytic lineage.

Annals of the New York Academy of SciencesVolume 557, Issue 1 p. 534-535 Induction of Hepatocyte Synthesis of the Mouse Acute Phase Protein Serum Amyloid P-Component (SAP) by IL-1 and IL-6 BIH-FEN LIN, BIH-FEN LIN Department of Microbiology Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio 43210Search for more papers by this authorNAM-ON KU, NAM-ON KU Department of Microbiology Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio 43210Search for more papers by this authorKAMYAR ZAHEDI, KAMYAR ZAHEDI Division of Immunology The Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School Boston, Massachusetts 02115Search for more papers by this authorALEXANDER S. WHITEHEAD, ALEXANDER S. WHITEHEAD Division of Immunology The Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School Boston, Massachusetts 02115Search for more papers by this authorRICHARD F. MORTENSEN, RICHARD F. MORTENSEN Department of Microbiology Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio 43210Search for more papers by this author BIH-FEN LIN, BIH-FEN LIN Department of Microbiology Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio 43210Search for more papers by this authorNAM-ON KU, NAM-ON KU Department of Microbiology Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio 43210Search for more papers by this authorKAMYAR ZAHEDI, KAMYAR ZAHEDI Division of Immunology The Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School Boston, Massachusetts 02115Search for more papers by this authorALEXANDER S. WHITEHEAD, ALEXANDER S. WHITEHEAD Division of Immunology The Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School Boston, Massachusetts 02115Search for more papers by this authorRICHARD F. MORTENSEN, RICHARD F. MORTENSEN Department of Microbiology Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio 43210Search for more papers by this author First published: June 1989 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.1989.tb24056.xCitations: 1AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article.Citing Literature Volume557, Issue1Regulation of the Acute Phase and Immune Responses: Interleukin-6June 1989Pages 534-535 RelatedInformation

Human CRP binds to the basement membrane protein laminin in vitro in a Ca2+-dependent manner via the phosphorylcholine (PC) binding site of C-reactive protein (CRP). The binding was saturable at a molar ratio of 4 (CRP/laminin). The specificity of the binding was shown by inhibition of binding of labeled CRP to laminin by unlabeled CRP, but not by human IgG. Specific binding was optimal in the presence of 5 mM Ca2+, but did not occur in the absence of Ca2+ or in the presence of EDTA. The binding of Ca2+ to CRP causes a conformational change in the molecule, which is required for binding to PC and to laminin. The PC binding site of CRP was implicated in the binding to laminin on the basis of inhibition by both soluble PC and anti-idiotypic mAbs directed to the TEPC-15 PC-binding idiotype found on mouse antibodies to PC. In addition, mouse mAbs specific for the CRP PC binding site displayed decreased reactivity with CRP already bound to laminin. The binding of CRP to laminin provides a possible explanation for selective deposition of CRP at inflamed sites. The CRP-laminin interaction may serve as a means of concentrating CRP at sites of tissue damage so that the CRP might function as a ligand for leukocytes, an event that will result in removal of necrotic tissue and cell debris.

Annals of the New York Academy of SciencesVolume 557, Issue 1 p. 532-533 Both Human IL-1 and IL-6 Induce Synthesis of C-Reactive Protein (CRP) by the PLC/PRF/5 Hepatoma Cell Line ANDREW W. TAYLOR, ANDREW W. TAYLOR Department of Microbiology Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio 43210Search for more papers by this authorNAM-ON KU, NAM-ON KU Department of Microbiology Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio 43210Search for more papers by this authorRICHARD F. MORTENSEN, RICHARD F. MORTENSEN Department of Microbiology Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio 43210Search for more papers by this author ANDREW W. TAYLOR, ANDREW W. TAYLOR Department of Microbiology Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio 43210Search for more papers by this authorNAM-ON KU, NAM-ON KU Department of Microbiology Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio 43210Search for more papers by this authorRICHARD F. MORTENSEN, RICHARD F. MORTENSEN Department of Microbiology Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio 43210Search for more papers by this author First published: June 1989 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.1989.tb24055.xCitations: 4AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article.Citing Literature Volume557, Issue1Regulation of the Acute Phase and Immune Responses: Interleukin-6June 1989Pages 532-533 RelatedInformation