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Lactoferrin and IgGFcγBP interaction


The lactoferrin protein, known to reduce inflammation, binding to IgGFcγBP.

Credit: Osaka Metropolitan University

Lactoferrin is a multifunctional protein mainly involved in the immune defense mechanisms against various pathogens. It has been reported that intestinal inflammation was reduced by lactoferrin administration. However, the precise mechanism underlying lactoferrin’s involvement in intestinal inflammation is not yet fully understood.

In this study, Osaka Metropolitan University researchers purified a mouse intestinal lactoferrin-binding protein with a molecular mass of ~400 kDa that was expressed in the small intestine and colon. Sequence analysis revealed that the intestinal lactoferrin-binding protein represented an ortholog of rat immunoglobulin G fragment crystallizable gamma-binding protein (IgGFcγBP). N-linked glycans of lactoferrin were not necessary for binding to IgGFcγBP. 

After reduction, IgGFcγBP was separated into fragments of 120, 70, 65, 60, and 55 kDa, none of which bound lactoferrin. The expression of IgGFcγBP was lost in a mouse model of dextran sodium sulphate-induced colitis and restored during the convalescence period of colitis, suggesting a role in mucosal protection and immune regulation. Furthermore, the researchers discussed potential links between IgGFcγBP and mucin-associated microbiota, which may contribute to lactoferrin’s immunomodulatory effects. These findings provide new insights into the interaction between lactoferrin, mucosal immunity, and gut microbiota.

Paper information

Journal: The Journal of Biochemistry
Title: Purification and characterization of an IgG Fc gamma binding protein from the mouse intestine that interacts with lactoferrin
DOI: 10.1093/jb/mvaf064
Authors: DongHo Kim, Ryoko Okamoto, Reiko Kananiwa, Kazuo Ikeda, Shigeru Saeki
Published: 3 November 2025
URL: https://doi.org/10.1093/jb/mvaf064

Contact

DongHo Kim
Graduate School of Human Life and Ecology
Email: apoer2[at]omu.ac.jp

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