Identification of the heat shock protein 60 epitope involved in receptor binding on macrophages

In the present study, we identified the human beat shock protein 60 (FISP60) epitope responsible for binding to macrophages. Studies using overlapping 15- and 20-mer peptides of the human HSP60 sequence to compete with binding of HSP60 to macrophages indicated that surface binding was accounted for by the region aa481-500. Deletion mutants of FISP60, lacking the N-terminal 137, 243 or 359 amino acids, strongly inhibited HSP60 binding to macrophages. Monoclonal antibodies addressing regions aa1-200, aa335-366 or aa383-447 did not block HSP60 binding. We conclude that a single C-terminal region, aa481-500, accounts for the binding of HSP60 to macrophages. (C) 2004 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.