Roles of CR3 and mannose receptors in the attachment and ingestion of Leishmania donovani by human mononuclear phagocytes

Abstract

Leishmania donovani is an obligate intracellular parasite of mammalian macrophages. Two macrophage receptors, the mannose-fucose receptor (MFR) and the receptor for complement component C3bi, CR3, were examined for their roles in the attachment and ingestion of L. donovani by human monocyte-derived macrophages. Two monoclonal antibodies which bind to the human CR3, anti-Mo1 and anti-Mac-1, inhibited both attachment and ingestion of L. donovani promastigotes after preincubation with human monocyte-derived macrophages; attachment was inhibited by 40 and 62% by anti-Mo1 and anti-Mac-1, respectively, and ingestion was inhibited by 34 and 51% by anti-Mo1 and anti-Mac-1, respectively. The interaction between promastigotes and CR3 may not have involved the C3bi-binding site on CR3, however, because a monoclonal antibody which exhibits specificity for this site, OKM10, inhibited promastigote attachment by only 18%. In contrast, OKM1, which is believed to react with the alternate lectinlike binding site on CR3, inhibited ingestion by 65%. MFR activity was inhibited using the soluble MFR ligands, mannan and mannosylated bovine serum albumin, which also inhibited promastigote attachment by 40 and 37%, respectively. The simultaneous inhibition of both CR3 (by anti-Mac-1) and the MFR (by either mannan or mannosylated bovine serum albumin) resulted in a greater decrease in promastigote attachment than inhibition of either receptor alone. Additionally, the reduction of MFR activity by allowing macrophages to adhere to a mannan-coated surface followed by the addition of anti-CR3 antibodies resulted in an 81% inhibition of promastigote ingestion, a greater decrease than was obtained by manipulation of either receptor alone. The results suggest that the MFR and CR3 independently participate in the attachment and ingestion of L. donovani promastigotes by human macrophages.