# Structural Basis of Chemokine CXCL8 Monomer and Dimer Binding to Chondroitin Sulfate: Insights into Specificity and Plasticity

## TL;DR

This study reveals how the chemokine CXCL8 interacts with chondroitin sulfate, showing how its structure allows binding to different molecules and potentially affecting neutrophil activity.

## Contribution

The study provides new structural insights into how CXCL8 binds to chondroitin sulfate in both monomer and dimer forms.

## Key findings

- Both CXCL8 monomer and dimer use the same basic residues to bind chondroitin sulfate.
- The dimer form of CXCL8 has higher affinity for chondroitin sulfate compared to the monomer.
- Basic residues involved in GAG binding also overlap with receptor interaction sites, potentially affecting receptor signaling.

## Abstract

Chemokines play a central role in orchestrating neutrophil recruitment from the bloodstream and determining their effector functions at sites of infection. Chemokine activity is determined by three key properties: reversible monomer–dimer equilibrium, binding to glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), and signaling through the GPCR class of receptors CXCR1 and CXCR2. In this study, we investigated the structural basis of CXCL8 monomer and dimer binding to GAG chondroitin sulfate (CS) using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, docking, and molecular dynamics (MD) measurements. Our studies reveal that both the monomer and dimer use essentially the same set of basic residues for binding, that the interface is extensive, that the dimer is the high-affinity CS ligand, and that the CS-binding residues form a contiguous surface within a monomer. Several of these residues also participate in receptor interactions, suggesting that CS-bound CXCL8 is likely impaired in its ability to bind receptors. Notably, we observe that the same basic residues are involved in binding CS and heparin/heparan sulfate, even though these GAGs differ in backbone structures and sulfation patterns. We conclude that the strategic distribution and topology of basic residues on the CXCL8 scaffold enable engagement with diverse GAG structures, which likely allows fine-tuning receptor signaling to regulate neutrophil trafficking and effector functions.