Comparison of Lipopolysaccharide-Binding Functions of CD14 and MD-2

Prior to being recognized by the cell surface Toll-like receptor 4/MD-2 complex, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the bacterial outer membrane has to be processed by LPS-binding protein and CD14. CD14 forms a complex with monomeric LPS extracted by LPS-binding protein and transfers LPS to the cell surface signaling complex. In a previous study, we prepared a functional recombinant MD-2 using a bacterial expression system. We expressed the recombinant protein in Escherichia coli as a fusion protein with thioredoxin and demonstrated specific binding to LPS. In this study, we prepared recombinant CD14 fusion proteins using the same approach. Specific binding of LPS was demonstrated with a recombinant protein containing 151 amino-terminal residues. The region contained a hydrophilic region and the first three leucine-rich repeats (LRRs). The LRRs appeared to contribute to the binding because removal of the region resulted in a reduction in the binding function. LPS binding to the recombinant MD-2 was resistant to detergents. On the other hand, the binding to CD14 was prevented in the presence of low concentrations of detergents. In the case of human MD-2, the secondary myristoyl chain of LPS added by LpxM was required for the binding. A nonpathogenic penta-acyl LPS mutant lacking the myristoyl chain did not bind to MD-2 but did so normally to CD14. The broader LPS-binding spectrum of CD14 may allow recognition of multiple pathogens, and the lower affinity for LPS binding of CD14 allows transmission of captured materials to MD-2.     

Comparison of lipopolysaccharide-binding functions of CD14 and MD-2

Prior to being recognized by the cell surface Toll-like receptor 4/MD-2 complex, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the bacterial outer membrane has to be processed by LPS-binding protein and CD14. CD14 forms a complex with monomeric LPS extracted by LPS-binding protein and transfers LPS to the cell surface signaling complex. In a previous study, we prepared a functional recombinant MD-2 using a bacterial expression system. We expressed the recombinant protein in Escherichia coli as a fusion protein with thioredoxin and demonstrated specific binding to LPS. In this study, we prepared recombinant CD14 fusion proteins using the same approach. Specific binding of LPS was demonstrated with a recombinant protein containing 151 amino-terminal residues. The region contained a hydrophilic region and the first three leucine-rich repeats (LRRs). The LRRs appeared to contribute to the binding because removal of the region resulted in a reduction in the binding function. LPS binding to the recombinant MD-2 was resistant to detergents. On the other hand, the binding to CD14 was prevented in the presence of low concentrations of detergents. In the case of human MD-2, the secondary myristoyl chain of LPS added by LpxM was required for the binding. A nonpathogenic penta-acyl LPS mutant lacking the myristoyl chain did not bind to MD-2 but did so normally to CD14. The broader LPS-binding spectrum of CD14 may allow recognition of multiple pathogens, and the lower affinity for LPS binding of CD14 allows transmission of captured materials to MD-2.     

Diphosphoryl lipid A from Rhodobacter sphaeroides inhibits complexes that form in vitro between lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-binding protein, soluble CD14, and spectrally pure LPS.

An early event in septic shock is the activation of macrophages by a complex consisting of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), LPS-binding protein (LBP), and the cell surface antigen CD14. The complexes that form between [3H]ReLPS (ReLPS is deep-rough-chemotype hexacyl LPS from E. coli D31m4), soluble CD14 (sCD14), and LBP were analyzed by two independent methods, native (nondenaturing) gel electrophoresis and size-exclusion high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). This is the first reported use of HPLC to purify and study LPS-protein complexes. The binding of [3H]ReLPS to LBP and sCD14 was inhibited by preincubation with diphosphoryl lipid A from Rhodobacter sphaeroides (RsDPLA), a potent LPS antagonist. In addition, [3H]ReLPS bound to LBP and to a truncated form of sCD14 [sCD14(1-152)] that contained the LPS binding domain. Binding to both proteins was blocked by RsDPLA. Thus, RsDPLA competes in a 1:1 ratio for the same or nearby binding sites on ReLPS complexes. Analysis by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of aggregated ReLPS eluting from the HPLC indicated that only LBP, not sCD14, was bound to the aggregated ReLPS. This finding supports the binary model of LPS complex formation with LBP and sCD14.     

Structural biology of the LPS recognition

Bacterial endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide - LPS) as one of the most potent inducers of the immune system is recognized by a complex cascade of extracellular "pattern recognition receptors", which chaperone the LPS from the bacterial membrane to the transmembrane receptor TLR4. Recent structural, biochemical and physiological investigations have advanced our understanding of the molecular pattern recognized by the receptors. The proposed mechanism of LPS recognition by the innate immune system involves as the first step binding of the LPS-binding protein (LBP) to LPS, which leads to a disruption of LPS aggregates Cationic amino acid residues at the tip of LBP play the most important role. The carboxyl-terminal domain of LBP, which interacts with CD14 or with the cell membrane, is required to streamline LPS signalling. The monomeric CD14:LPS complex is soluble, as the acyl chains of the lipid A are to a large extent protected from the solvent by interaction with the hydrophobic pocket of CD14. CD14 does not have a strong cationic cluster, characteristic of LBP and MD-2. Besides lipid A, CD14 recognizes also the carbohydrate chains of LPS and along with LBP governs the activation of the MyD88-independent signalling pathway of TLR4. The final cellular acceptor for LPS is MD-2, which comprises both a strong cationic and a hydrophobic binding site. MD-2 binds the LPS monomer and is sensitive to the acylation pattern of the lipid A moiety. Association of the MD-2:LPS complex to the ectodomain of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) finally transduces the signal through the association of intracellular TIR domain, recruiting the adapter proteins triggering the signalling cascade.     

Helicobacter pylori and Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharides are poorly transferred to recombinant soluble CD14.

Helicobacter pylori and Porphyromonas gingivalis are gram-negative bacteria associated with chronic inflammatory diseases. These bacteria possess lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) that are able to activate human monocytes to produce tumor necrosis factor alpha but fail to activate human endothelial cells to express E-selectin. With Escherichia coli LPS, tumor necrosis factor alpha activation requires membrane-bound CD14 and E-selectin expression requires soluble CD14 (sCD14). Therefore, the ability of H. pylori and P. gingivalis LPSs to transfer to and bind sCD14 was examined by using immobilized recombinant sCD14 and human serum or recombinant LPS-binding protein (LBP). H. pylori and P. gingivalis LPSs were transferred to sCD14 when serum or LBP was present. However, the transfer of these LPSs to CD14 in serum was significantly slower than the transfer of E. coli LPS. Quantitation of the transfer rates by Michaelis-Menten kinetics yielded K(m) values of 6 and 0.1 nM for H. pylori and E. coli LPSs, respectively. The amount of P. gingivalis LPS required to obtain half-maximum binding to CD14 was approximately 10-fold greater than the amount of E. coli LPS required. The slower transfer rates displayed by these LPSs can be explained by the poor binding to LBP observed in direct binding assays. These results are consistent with the proportionately lower ability of these LPSs to activate monocytes compared with E. coli LPS. However, the ability of H. pylori and P. gingivalis LPSs to bind LBP and transfer to sCD14 demonstrates that the lack of endothelial cell CD14-dependent cell activation by these LPSs occurs distal to sCD14 binding.     

Surfactant protein a inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced immune cell activation by preventing the interaction of lipopolysaccharide with lipopolysaccharide-binding protein

Pulmonary surfactant protein (SP)-A, an innate immune molecule, modifies lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cell responses. Because SP-A avidly binds to the deep rough (Re) mutant of LPS, we first investigated the functional consequences of this interaction and found that preincubation of Re-LPS with SP-A significantly and in a dose-dependent manner decreased the sensitivity of rat alveolar macrophages and human mononuclear cells to Re-LPS-induced activation at limited amounts of LPS-binding protein (LBP). At high LBP concentrations, the SP-A-mediated cellular inhibition of Re-LPS-induced activation was abrogated. Because LBP-catalyzed binding of LPS to CD14 is essential for low-dose LPS-induced signaling, we then hypothesized that SP-A inhibits Re-LPS-induced immune cell activation via inhibiting the binding of Re-LPS to LBP. Binding competition experiments employing a surface plasmon resonance technique showed that Re-LPS preincubated with SP-A bound to LBP to a significantly lesser extent than Re-LPS alone. For enhanced cellular association of [(3)H]LPS/SP-A complexes to occur, the expression of membrane-bound CD14 by human embryonic kidney cells 293 was not essential. Therefore, the ability of SP-A to inhibit immune cell activation by Re-LPS may be due to its ability to block the binding of Re-LPS to LBP and prevent the initiation of the LBP/CD14 pathway for inflammatory reactions in the lung.     

Binding of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to CHO cells does not correlate with LPS-induced NF-kappaB activation

Activation of myeloid cells by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a key event in the development of gram-negative sepsis. One crucial step within this process is the binding of LPS to CD14. CD14 is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored membrane protein requiring at least one additional membrane-spanning molecule for signal transduction. It is not clear whether the function of CD14 is to merely catalyze LPS binding, followed by the interaction of LPS with the signal transducer, or whether CD14 has a more specific function and may be a part of the signaling complex. To address this question we generated Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells expressing a human GPI-anchored form of LPS-binding protein (mLBP) to substitute for CD14 as LPS acceptor molecule. By comparison of CHO / mLBP with CHO / vector and CHO / CD14 cells we found that expression of GPI-linked LBP results in an enhanced binding of LPS but not in an increase in cell activation as determined by translocation of NF-kappaB. Furthermore, excess of recombinant soluble LBP resulted also in increased LPS binding without affecting NF-kappaB translocation. These data show that LPS binding alone is not sufficient to induce signaling. We conclude that CD14 is more than a catalyst for LPS binding: it seems to be directly involved in LPS signaling and thus appears to be an essential part of the signaling complex.     

Function of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-binding protein (LBP) and CD14, the receptor for LPS/LBP complexes: a short review.

With the recent discovery and cloning of the lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP), the "adapter-molecule" for LPS-binding to the cell surface receptor CD14 was found. The ligand-receptor pair LPS/LBP-CD14 seems to be one important element in LPS-mediated activation of monocytic cells and possibly granulocytes and B cells. Here, some of the known functions of the proteins involved, LBP and CD14, are reviewed in the context of other endotoxin recognition studies, and the outlook for ongoing and future investigations is described.     

Immunoreactivity and bioactivity of lipopolysaccharide-binding protein in normal and heat-inactivated sera.

The lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-potentiating effect of serum is due to LPS-binding protein (LBP), which facilitates the binding of LPS to CD14 receptors. We observed a remarkable heat sensitivity of recombinant LBP and various sera with respect to both immunoreactivity (measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) and bioactivity (potentiation of LPS induction of tumor necrosis factor in monocytes). Human sera were more active and more heat sensitive than fetal bovine sera. The commonly practiced heat inactivation of human serum (56 degrees C, 30 min) resulted in a 70% loss of bioactivity, which caused an apparent decrease in the potency of LPS.     

Interactions of bacterial lipopolysaccharide and peptidoglycan with a 70 kDa and an 80 kDa protein on the cell surface of CD14+ and CD14- cells

Bacterial cell wall components, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), lipoteichoic acid (LTA), and peptidoglycan (PGN) are known to stimulate cells of the immune, inflammatory and vascular systems contributing to septic shock. CD14 has been identified as the main LPS receptor, a process that is accelerated by the serum protein LPS-binding protein (LBP). CD14 has also been found to bind LTA and PGN from the cell wall of gram positive bacteria. Recently, toll-like receptor proteins TLR-2 and TLR-4 have been shown to be required for LPS and LTA-induced intracellular signalling. Although CD14 functions as either a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored molecule that does not transverse the cell membrane or as a soluble serum protein, the mechanisms by which the CD14-LPS/LTA complex interacts with the TLRs remains to be elucidated. We have looked directly for cell surface protein(s) that bind LPS or LTA in a CD14-dependent manner. Using biochemical approaches we have identified two proteins of molecular weight 70 kDa (LAP-1) and 80 kDa (LAP-2) that can be precipitated from both CD14(+) and CD14(-) cells with LPS- or LTA-specific antibodies. Binding of LPS and LTA to LAP-1 and -2 required serum. While soluble CD14 (sCD14) was sufficient to allow precipitation of these two proteins from CD14(-) cells, serum could not be replaced by purified sCD14 and/or LBP when mCD14-expressing cells were used.     

Low potency of Chlamydophila LPS to activate human mononuclear cells due to its reduced affinities for CD14 and LPS-binding protein

Chlamydiaceae are small obligate intracellular parasites and classified as Gram-negative bacteria. Among Chlamydiaceae-derived components, LPS is known as an immunomodulator and possesses a unique lipid A structure with longer but fewer acyl chains. In this study, to elucidate the Chlamydiaceae-induced immune responses, we evaluated the actions of Chlamydophila psittaci LPS as a Chlamydiaceae LPS on human PBMCs and compared with those of Escherichia coli LPS. Similar to E. coli LPS, C. psittaci LPS bound to monocytes and induced the pro-inflammatory cytokine production in an LPS-binding protein (LBP)-dependent manner. However, C. psittaci LPS was much less potent than E. coli LPS in both the LPS binding and cytokine production. Interestingly, although the binding of C. psittaci LPS was mediated by CD14, Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and CD11b, CD14 and TLR4 but not CD11b were involved in the cytokine production. Of note, ELISA-based binding assays revealed that C. psittaci LPS directly bound to LBP and CD14; however, the affinities were much less than those of E. coli LPS. Together, these observations possibly suggest that Chlamydiaceae LPS has low binding affinities for LPS recognition molecules such as CD14 and LBP and exhibit weak biological activities against host immune cells including monocytes, thereby contributing to the chronic (persistent) inflammatory reactions during infection.     

Lipopolysaccharide priming of superoxide release by human neutrophils: Role of membrane CD 14 and serum LPS binding protein

Previous studies have suggested that lipopolysaccharide (LPS) interactions with neutrophils and monocytes are mediated via the CD14 receptor, in the presence of serum factors such as LPS-binding protein (LBP) and septin. The present study was designed to test if CD14-mediated LPS priming of human neutrophils is dependent upon the presence of serum proteins and to evaluate the contribution of serum factors in LPS-neutrophil interactions. The results demonstrate that CD14 mediates the priming of neutrophil superoxide release by LPS both in the presence and in the absence of serum. However, priming by LPS is greatly enhanced in the presence of human serum, and the factor responsible for this phenomenon is LBP and not heat-sensitive proteins, such as septin.     

Saturable CD14-dependent binding of fluorescein-labeled lipopolysaccharide to human monocytes.

We used rough lipopolysaccharide (ReLPS) to construct a fluorescein-labeled LPS (FITC-LPS) with a very high labeling efficiency that bound to isolated human monocytes in a CD14-dependent fashion and that in this respect behaved indistinctively from native LPS. The CD14-dependent binding could be inhibited either by a 1,000-fold excess of unlabeled LPS or by polymyxin B, bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein, cationic protein 18, or soluble CD14. Although this FITC-LPS preparation no longer possessed the ability to prime neutrophils for the production of reactive oxygen species or to stimulate human monocytes to produce tumor necrosis factor, activation of the Limulus amoebocyte lysate cascade was comparable to activation by native LPS. Binding to monocytes was enhanced by human pooled serum (HPS) or LPS-binding protein (LBP) for LPS concentrations up to 100 ng/ml and was completely CD14 dependent. For LPS concentrations exceeding 100 ng/ml, binding was still partially CD14 dependent, but not HPS or LBP dependent. CD14-dependent association of LPS with monocytes was shown to be totally saturable. In conclusion, we found an HPS- or LBP-dependent binding of FITC-LPS to monocytes that was CD14 dependent at up to 100 ng of LPS per ml, and saturation of binding was shown.     

Interaction of pulmonary surfactant protein C with CD14 and lipopolysaccharide

In addition to their effects on alveolar surface tension, some components of lung surfactant also have immunological functions. We found recently that the hydrophobic lung surfactant protein SP-C specifically binds to the lipid A region of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In this study, we show that SP-C also interacts with CD14. Four observations showed cross talk between the three molecules SP-C, LPS, and CD14. (i) Like LBP, SP-C allows the binding of a fluorescent LPS to cells expressing CD14 (the other surfactant components were ineffective). (ii) Recombinant radiolabeled CD14 and SP-C (or a synthetic analog of SP-C) interact in a dose-dependent manner. (iii) LPS blocks the binding of radiolabeled CD14 to SP-C-coated wells. (iv) SP-C enhances the binding of radiolabeled CD14 to LPS-coated wells. These results, obtained with native murine SP-C and with three synthetic analogs, suggest that LPS and CD14 interact with the same region of SP-C and that binding of SP-C modifies the conformation of CD14 or the accessibility of its LPS-binding site, allowing it to bind LPS. This ability of SP-C to interact with the pattern recognition molecule CD14 extends the possible immunological targets of SP-C to a large panel of microorganisms that can enter the airways.     

Identification of lipopolysaccharide-binding peptide regions within HMGB1 and their effects on subclinical endotoxemia in a mouse model

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) triggers deleterious systemic inflammatory responses when released into the circulation. LPS-binding protein (LBP) in the serum plays an important role in modifying LPS toxicity by facilitating its interaction with LPS signaling receptors, which are expressed on the surface of LPS-responsive cells. We have previously demonstrated that high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) can bind to and transfer LPS, consequently increasing LPS-induced TNF-α production in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). We report here on the identification of two LPS-binding domains within HMGB1. Furthermore, using 12 synthetic HMGB1 peptides, we define the LPS-binding regions within each domain. Among them, synthetic peptides HPep1 and HPep6, which are located in the A and B box domains of HMGB1, bind to the polysaccharide and lipid A moieties of LPS respectively. Both HPep1 and HPep6 peptides inhibited binding of LPS to LBP and HMGB1, LBP-mediated LPS transfer to CD14, and cellular uptake of LPS in RAW264.7 cells. These peptides also inhibited LPS-induced TNF-α release in human PBMCs and induced lower levels of TNF-α in the serum in a subclinical endotoxemia mouse model. These results indicate that HMGB1 has two LPS-binding peptide regions that can be utilized to design anti-sepsis or LPS-neutralizing therapeutics.     

Analysis of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-binding characteristics of serum components using gel filtration of FITC-labeled LPS

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-binding components in serum play an important role in modifying LPS toxicity. We analyzed the binding characteristics of LPS in the presence of serum using gel filtration of FITC-labeled LPS (FITC-LPS) with on line detection of optical density and fluorescence. FITC-LPS separately behaves as an aggregate resulting in a low, dequenched, fluorescence. Binding of single LPS molecules, segregated from the aggregate, to serum components results in an increase in the fluorescence due to dequenching, and a comigration of fluorescence and optical density signals using gel filtration. This method, in combination with the use of specific antibodies inducing additional shifts, demonstrated that in serum high-density lipoproteins (HDL), albumin and low-density lipoproteins (LDL) were able to monomerize LPS. An ELISA on collected fractions of the gel filtration revealed binding of the recently identified LPS-binding protein, serum amyloid P component (SAP), to the high molecular weight LPS aggregate. In serum, binding of soluble CD14 (sCD14) and LPS-binding protein (LBP) to LPS could not be detected. However, this was probably due to an overshadowing effect of albumin, as an extra addition of recombinant sCD14 to serum clearly monomerized FITC-LPS. Biosensor technology revealed that, of all LPS-binding components tested, only SAP clearly bound to the LPS-coated sensor chip. These results show that gel filtration of FITC-LPS is a quick and reliable method to study the binding characteristics of LPS-binding components.     

Regulatory mechanisms of host responsiveness to endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide)

During Gram-negative endotoxemia, precise regulation of monocyte/macrophage (M phi) responsiveness to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is critical to preserve host defense while avoiding complications such as organ failure and death. We will discuss regulation of LPS-M phi interactions by LPS-binding plasma proteins and by LPS-induced changes in M phi responsiveness. Upon exposure to plasma, LPS binds to either lipoproteins or LPS-binding protein (LBP; a 60-kilodalton glycoprotein with a high-affinity binding site for the lipid A moiety of rough and smooth LPS). The LPS-LBP complex stimulates the M phi by binding to its cellular receptor, CD14 (a monocyte/M phi-specific, phosphatidylinositol-anchored surface glycoprotein). Pretreatment of whole blood with anti-CD 14 monoclonal antibody reduces the responsiveness of monocytes to LPS [determined by tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) release]at least 10-fold. Similarly, cellular responsiveness to LPS is diminished at least 100-fold by depletion of plasma LBP with anti-LBP antibody. Compared to LPS-LBP induction of TNF-alpha, LPS-lipoprotein complexes are as much as 10,000-fold less active. Thus, partitioning of LPS between LBP and lipoproteins markedly influences M phi responsiveness to LPS. LPS also directly induces M phi hyporesponsiveness to itself by a process known as adaptation; exposure of M phi to less than or equal to LPS/ml (subthreshold for TNF induction) for 6-9 reduces the sensitivity of the M phi to subsequent challenge up to 1,000-fold, so that 1 microgram/ml rather than 1 ng/ml of LPS is required for maximal induction of TNF-alpha.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Cytokine induction by purified lipoteichoic acids from various bacterial species--role of LBP, sCD14, CD14 and failure to induce IL-12 and subsequent IFN-gamma release

We have recently shown that highly purified lipoteichoic acid (LTA) represents a major immunostimulatory principle of Staphylococcus aureus. In order to test whether this translates to other bacterial species, we extracted and purified LTA from 12 laboratory-grown species. All LTA induced the release of TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6 and IL-10 in human whole blood. Soluble CD14 (sCD14) inhibited monokine induction by LTA but failed to confer LTA responsiveness for IL-6 and IL-8 release of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). In a competitive LPS-binding protein (LBP) binding assay, the IC(50) of the tested LTA preparations was up to 3,230-fold higher than for LPS. LBP enhanced TNF-alpha release of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) upon LPS but not LTA stimulation. These data demonstrate a differential role for the serum proteins LBP and sCD14 in the recognition of LPS and LTA. Different efficacies of various anti-CD14 antibodies against LPS vs. LTA-induced cytokine release suggest that the recognition sites of CD14 for LPS and LTA are distinct with a partial overlap. While the maximal achievable monokine release in response to LTA was comparable to LPS, all LTA induced significantly less IL-12 and IFN-gamma. IL-12 substitution increased LTA-inducible IFN-gamma release up to 180-fold, suggesting a critical role of poor LTA-inducible IL-12 for IFN-gamma formation. Pretreatment with IFN-gamma rendered galactosamine-sensitized mice sensitive to challenge with LTA. In conclusion, LTA compared to LPS, are weak inducers of IL-12 and subsequent IFN-gamma formation which might explain their lower toxicity in vivo.     

Human lactoferrin interacts with soluble CD14 and inhibits expression of endothelial adhesion molecules, E-selectin and ICAM-1, induced by the CD14-lipopolysaccharide complex

Lipopolysaccharides (LPS), either in the free form or complexed to CD14, a LPS receptor, are elicitors of the immune system. Lactoferrin (Lf), a LPS-chelating glycoprotein, protects animals against septic shock. Since optimal protection requires administration of Lf prior to lethal doses of LPS, we hypothesized that interactions between Lf and soluble CD14 (sCD14) exist. In a first step, human sCD14 and human Lf (hLf) were used to determine the kinetic binding parameters of hLf to free sCD14 in an optical biosensor. The results demonstrated that hLf bound specifically and with a high affinity (K(d) = 16+/-7 nM) to sCD14. Affinity chromatography studies showed that hLf interacted not only with free sCD14 but also, though with different binding properties, with sCD14 complexed to LPS or lipid A-2-keto-3-deoxyoctonic acid-heptose. In a second step, we have investigated whether the capacity of hLf to interact with sCD14 could modulate the expression of endothelial-leukocyte adhesion molecule 1 (E-selectin) or intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) induced by the sCD14-LPS complex on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). Our experiments show that hLf significantly inhibited both E-selectin and ICAM-1 expressions at the surface of HUVEC. In conclusion, these observations suggest that the anti-inflammatory effects of hLf are due not only to the ability of the molecule to chelate LPS but also to its ability to interact with sCD14 and with the sCD14 complexed to LPS, thus modifying the activation of endothelial cells.