Endosomal Targeting by the Cytoplasmic Tail of Membrane Immunoglobulin

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 276; no. 5311; pp. 407 - 409
• Main Authors: Weiser, Peter, Müller, Ralph, Braun, Uschi, Reth, Michael
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Society for the Advancement of Science 18.04.1997; American Association for the Advancement of Science; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Amino acids; Animals; Antibodies, immunoglobulins; Antigen Presentation; Antigens; B cells; B lymphocytes; B-Lymphocytes - immunology; Biological and medical sciences; Biological Transport; Cell lines; Coding; Cytoplasm; Cytoplasmic filaments; Dimerization; Endosomes - immunology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fundamental immunology; Immunity (Disease); Immunoglobulin gamma-Chains - chemistry; Immunoglobulin gamma-Chains - genetics; Immunoglobulin gamma-Chains - metabolism; Immunoglobulins; Immunologic Memory; Medical research; Membranes; Mice; Molecular chains; Molecular immunology; Molecules; Mutation; Ova; Receptors; Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell - chemistry; Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell - genetics; Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell - metabolism; Recombinant Fusion Proteins - chemistry; Recombinant Fusion Proteins - metabolism; Structure; T lymphocytes; Transfection; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Heavy peptide chain; Immunoglobulins; Membrane protein; Molecular targeting; Molecular domain; Endosome; Structure function relationship; Cytoplasm
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.276.5311.407

Membrane-bound immunoglobulin (mlg) of the IgG, IgA, and IgE classes have conserved cytoplasmic tails. To investigate the function of these tails, a B cell line was transfected with truncated or mutated γ2a heavy chains. Transport to the endosomal compartment of antigen bound by the B cell antigen receptor did not occur in the absence of the cytoplasmic tail; and one or two mutations, respectively, in the Tyr-X-X-Met motif of the tail partially or completely interrupted the process. Experiments with chimeric antigen receptors confirmed these findings. Thus, a role for the cytoplasmic tail of mlg heavy chains in endosomal targeting of antigen is revealed.