Structural Basis for Selective Recognition of Endogenous and Microbial Polysaccharides by Macrophage Receptor SIGN-R1

SIGN-R1 is a principal receptor for microbial polysaccharides uptake and is responsible for C3 fixation via an unusual complement activation pathway on splenic marginal zone macrophages. In these macrophages, SIGN-R1 is also involved in anti-inflammatory activity of intravenous immunoglobulin by direct interaction with sialylated Fcs. The high-resolution crystal structures of SIGN-R1 carbohydrate recognition domain and its complexes with dextran sulfate or sialic acid, and of the sialylated Fc antibody provide insights into SIGN-R1's selective recognition of alpha-2,6-sialylated glycoproteins. Unexpectedly, an additional binding site has been found in the SIGN-R1 carbohydrate recognition domain, structurally separate from the calcium-dependent carbohydrate-binding site. This secondary binding site could bind repetitive molecular patterns, as observed in microbial polysaccharides, in a calcium-independent manner. These two binding sites may allow SIGN-R1 to simultaneously bind both immune glycoproteins and microbial polysaccharide components, accommodating SIGN-R1's ability to relate the recognition of microbes to the activation of the classical complement pathway.