Identification of a scavenger receptor homologue on nonspecific cytotoxic cells and evidence for binding to oligodeoxyguanosine

In mammals scavenger receptors (SR) are expressed by monocytic-macrophage lineage cells and B-cells. Studies of various teleost species have indirectly demonstrated the presence of SR receptors on phagocytic or endothelial cells by showing the uptake of SR ligands (i.e. derivatised (acetylated) lipoproteins) by these cells. In the present study, nonspecific cytotoxic cells (NCC) were examined for membrane expression of an SR-like protein. Approximately 15–25% of purified NCC expressed scavenger receptor class A (SR-A) demonstrated by binding by a monoclonal (2F8) specific for mouse SR-A (types I, II). Flow cytometric analysis determined that SR binding cells had the same size and ‘side scatter’ characteristics as NCC. Two colour flow analysis of NCC demonstrated that only a subset of NCC expressed the SR-A-like protein and non-NCC were SR-A negative. Membrane expression of SR on NCC was confirmed by fluorescence microscopy. Analysis of the tissue distribution of SR bearing cells demonstrated that in both catfish and tilapia, SR-A was expressed by NCC in the peripheral blood, spleen and anterior kidney. Experiments were also done to determine if the ligands known to bind mammalian SR-A had a similar specificity for the teleost receptor. Cold competition binding experiments determined that anti-SR-A antibody competed with and reduced biotinylated polyguanosine 20-mer binding to NCC by approximately 40%. Two other types of ligands known to bind (mammalian) SR-A (i.e. polyvinyl sulphate and dextran sulphate) likewise decreased anti-SR-A antibody binding to NCC by 40%. These studies for the first time demonstrated that NCC express the teleost orthologue of mammalian SR-A, suggesting that NCC may participate in physiologic regulation of lipid metabolism in addition to functions of innate immunity.