Identification and functional characterization of platelet-activating factor receptors in human leukocyte populations using polyclonal anti-peptide antibody.

Recently, the successful cloning of a receptor for platelet-activating factor (PAF), a lipid mediator of inflammation, was reported. Here we investigated the distribution and potential diversity of human PAF receptors (hPAF-Rs) among individual leukocyte populations by (i) hPAF-R mRNA transcription studies and (ii) analysis of cell surface expression of hPAF-R protein using a polyclonal anti-peptide antibody (anti-hPAF-R164-173). Northern blot analysis, flow cytometry, and immunoblotting with anti-hPAF-R antibody indicated that monocytic, neutrophilic, and B-lymphocytic cell lines all shared a similar hPAF-R species, whereas resting T-cell and natural killer cell lines failed to express detectable levels of either hPAF-R protein or mRNA. Peripheral blood leukocyte populations showed a distribution of hPAF-R cell surface expression similar to that of the corresponding cell lines. Furthermore, binding of anti-hPAF-R164-173 antiserum, purified IgG, or Fab and F(ab')2 fragments to the receptor of all investigated PAF-R-positive cell lines induced an increase in intracellular free calcium concentration. The characterization of the expression of a lipid ligand receptor using antibodies against an intrinsic portion of the receptor protein has, to our knowledge, never been reported previously.