Tamm-Horsfall glycoprotein (THG) is a binder for surface membrane proteins on blood cells and glomerular mesangial cells

Chia Li Yu*, Chang Youh Tsai, Kuang Hui Sun, Song Chou Hsieh, Ying Yang Tsai, Shih Tzu Tsai, Hsin Su Yu, Shou Hwa Han

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

A macromolecule with a molecular weight of 90-100 kDa was purified from normal human pregnancy urine. The molecule was proved to be the Tamm-Horsfall glycoprotein (THG) by Western blot analysis. The macromolecule contains carbohydrate as detected by an enzyme immunoassay. Functionally, the glycoprotein can adhere to and stimulate the thymidine incorporation of human mononuclear cells (MNC) in modest degree via its membranotropic property. In addition to MNC, the protein can also bind to the surface of human polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN), red blood cells (RBC) and rat glomerular mesangial cells (RMC). Western blot analysis of various cell lysates with/without proteinase K pretreatment before cell lysis revealed that a 60 kDa and a molecule larger that 94 kDa on the surface of PMN, a 60 kDa protein on MNC and a 32 kDa protein on RBC are the binding molecules for THG. In contrast, many proteins on the surface of RMC could be bound by THG. Immunoprecipitation of membranous iodinated MNC lysates also confirmed that the 60 kDa molecule on MNC is the binding protein for THG. A number of monosaccharide including N-acetylneuraminic acid, N-acetyl-galactosamine, N-acetyl-glucosamine and α-methyl-D-mannoside could not inhibit the mitogenic effect of THG on human mononuclear cells. These results suggest that THG is capable of reacting with surface membrane proteins on different cells, but not through the specific carbohydrate-containing lectin-like receptors on the cell surface.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)237-245
Number of pages9
JournalImmunopharmacology
Volume35
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1997

Keywords

  • glomerular mesangial cell
  • mononuclear cell
  • polymorphonuclear neutrophil
  • red blood cell
  • Tamm-Horsfall glycoprotein

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