Non-chemotactic translocation of phagocytic cells mediated by a fibronectin-related human lymphokine

Abstract

A fibronectin (FN)-related human lymphokine, macrophage agglutination factor (MAggF), agglutinates monocytes at femtomolar concentrations. Similar concentrations of MAggF translocate monocytes and neutrophils through artificial extracellular matrices by a non-chemotactic adhesive process not dependent on intracellular metabolism (matrix-driven translocation). As is the case with matrix-driven translocation mediated by other FN, MAggF-mediated translocation depends on interaction of the lymphokine amino-terminal heparin-binding domain with cell surface heparin-like molecules. In contrast, lymphokine-mediated agglutination involves interactions between the MAggF cell-binding domain and integrin FN receptors recognizing the Arg-Gly-Asp sequence. MAggF-mediated translocation and agglutination are also dependent on the lymphokine gelatin-binding domain. The extremely high activity of MAggF in translocating and agglutinating monocytes may result from cooperative interactions between multiple lymphokine domains and multiple classes of cell surface receptor molecules. We suggest that MAggF-mediated matrix-driven translocation could act independently of or in addition to chemotaxis in recruiting monocytes and neutrophils to a tissue site of T cell-mediated inflammation. Subsequent interaction of MAggF and monocyte FN receptor could then detain monocytes there.