Impact of a Three Amino Acid Deletion in the CH2 Domain of Murine IgG1 on Fc-Associated Effector Functions

Abstract

Four murine IgG subclasses display markedly different Fc-associated effector functions because of their differential binding to three activating IgG Fc receptors (FcγRI, FcγRIII, and FcγRIV) and C1q. Previous analysis of IgG subclass switch variants of 34-3C anti-RBC monoclonal autoantibodies revealed that the IgG1 subclass, which binds only to FcγRIII and fails to activate complement, displayed the poorest pathogenic potential. This could be related to the presence of a three amino acid deletion at positions 233–235 in the CH2 domain uniquely found in this subclass. To address this question, IgG1 insertion and IgG2b deletion mutants at positions 233–235 of 34-3C anti-RBC Abs were generated, and their ability to initiate effector functions and their pathogenicity were compared with those of the respective wild-type Abs. The insertion of amino acid residues at positions 233–235 enabled the IgG1 subclass to bind FcγRIV but did not improve the binding to C1q. Accordingly, its pathogenicity was enhanced but still inferior to that of IgG2b. In contrast, the IgG2b deletion mutant lost its ability to bind to FcγRIV and activate complement. Consequently, its pathogenicity was markedly diminished to a level comparable to that of IgG1. Our results demonstrated that the initiation of FcγR- and complement-mediated effector functions of IgG2b was profoundly affected by the three amino acid deletion at positions 233–235, but that this natural three amino acid deletion could only partially explain the poor binding of IgG1 to FcγRIV and C1q. This indicates the lack in the IgG1 subclass of as yet unknown motifs promoting efficient interaction with FcγRIV and C1q.