Background and purpose: The CCR5 chemokine receptor is a member of the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) family that is expressed by macrophages, memory T-lymphocytes and dendritic cells and is activated by chemotactic proteins (e.g. MIP-1alpha [CCL3], MIP-1beta [CCL4] and RANTES [CCL5]). CCR5 is also the principal co-receptor for macrophage-tropic strains of human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) and some chemokines can inhibit HIV-1 infection by stimulating CCR5 receptor endocytosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of CCR5 antagonists on CCR5 endocytosis.
Experimental approach: The effects of CCR5 agonists and antagonists on receptor internalization in CHO cells, expressing a C-terminal green fluorescent protein-tagged human CCR5 receptor (CCR5-GFP), were quantified using a confocal imaging plate reader.
Key results: MIP-1alpha [CCL3], MIP-1beta [CCL4] and RANTES [CCL5] were all able to stimulate potently the internalization of CCR5-GFP. This effect was inhibited by the non-peptide antagonist TAK 779. The CCR5 peptide antagonist met-RANTES antagonized MIP-1alpha-mediated increases in intracellular free calcium but was also able to stimulate a substantial internalization of the human CCR5-GFP receptor. However, CHO cells exhibited an aminopeptidase activity that was able to metabolize sufficient met-RANTES into an agonist metabolite capable of stimulating calcium mobilization via CCR5 receptors in naïve cells.
Conclusions and implications: These data suggest that there is an endogenous aminopeptidase activity on the surface of CHO cells, that produces a slow internalization of the receptor following a time-dependent conversion of receptor-bound met-RANTES from a CCR5 receptor antagonist into a CCR5 agonist molecule.