Homodimeric crossover structure of the human GCSF-receptor signaling complex

Tamada, Taro; Honjo, Eijiro; Maeda, Yoshitake*; Okamoto, Tomoyuki*; Ishibashi, Matsujiro*; Tokunaga, Masao*; Kuroki, Ryota

We have succeeded in crystallization of 2:2 complex between human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (hGCSF) and the Ig-like and CRH domains of human GCSF-R (hGCSF-R) and determined its tertiary structure by X-ray crystallography at 2.8 resolution. The signaling 2:2 complex is formed via cross-over interactions between the Ig-like domain of hGCSF-R and the neighboring hGCSF, forming a two-fold axis of crystallographic symmetry. This conformation is quite different from that of the heterogeneous mGCSF-R complex, and more closely resembles the 2:2:2 active assembly of human interleukin-6 (IL-6), human IL-6 -receptor and human gp130 (which is a shared signal transducing receptor for several cytokines), and the 2:2 assembly of viral IL-6 and human gp130. The Ig-like domain cross-over structure necessary for GCSF-R activation is consistent with previously reported thermodynamic and mutational analyses.