Glycobiology Advance Access published online on May 4, 2007
Glycobiology, doi:10.1093/glycob/cwm049
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Siglec-15: An immune system Siglec that is conserved throughout vertebrate evolution
Research Center for Medical Glycoscience, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 1-1-1 Umezono, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568, JAPAN
1 To whom correspondence should be addressed: Phone: +81-29-861-9460; Fax: +81-29-861-3191; E-mail: takashi-angata{at}aist.go.jp
Received on February 2, 2007; revised on March 27, 2007; accepted on April 23, 2007
Siglecs are vertebrate cell-surface receptors that recognize sialylated glycans. Here we have identified and characterized a novel Siglec, named Siglec-15. Siglec-15 is a type-I transmembrane protein consisting of two immunoglobulin-like domains, a transmembrane domain containing a lysine residue, and a short cytoplasmic tail. Siglec-15 is expressed on macrophages and/or dendritic cells of human spleen and lymph nodes. We show that the extracellular domain of Siglec-15 preferentially recognizes the sialyl Tn structure. Siglec-15 associates with the activating adaptor proteins DAP12 and DAP10 via its lysine residue in the transmembrane domain, implying that it functions as an activating signaling molecule. Siglec-15 is the second human Siglec identified to have an activating signaling potential; unlike the first example Siglec-14, however, it does not have an inhibitory counterpart. Orthologs of Siglec-15 are present not only in mammals but also in other branches of vertebrates; by contrast, no other known Siglec expressed in the immune system has been conserved throughout the vertebrate evolution. Thus, Siglec-15 probably plays a conserved regulatory role in the immune system of vertebrates.
Key words: DAP12 / dendritic cells / macrophages / sialyl Tn / Siglec