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The rabbit properdin system: I. Identification of a new factor and purification of rabbit properdin.

Pure preparations of rabbit properdin were obtained from rabbit serum by ion-exchange chromatography. These preparations functioned as properdin when they were measured with the zymosan assay or with a serum reagent selectively depleted of properdin by a specific immunoabsorbent. Properdin in these preparations was in its activated state. A new serum factor was required to measure properdin activity when purified preparations of rabbit properdin were tested with the zymosan assay. This factor was designated as ZBP, or zymosan-binding protein. ZBP appeared to be distinct from known components of the alternative complement pathway and the classical complement system, and it did not appear to be an immunoglobulin.

Animals↗

X-ray structure of the Ca2+-binding interaction domain of C1s. Insights into the assembly of the C1 complex of complement.

C1, the complex that triggers the classical pathway of complement, is assembled from two modular proteases C1r and C1s and a recognition protein C1q. The N-terminal CUB1-EGF segments of C1r and C1s are key elements of the C1 architecture, because they mediate both Ca2+-dependent C1r-C1s association and interaction with C1q. The crystal structure of the interaction domain of C1s has been solved and refined to 1.5 A resolution. The structure reveals a head-to-tail homodimer involving interactions between the CUB1 module of one monomer and the epidermal growth factor (EGF) module of its counterpart. A Ca2+ ion is bound to each EGF module and stabilizes both the intra- and inter-monomer interfaces. Unexpectedly, a second Ca2+ ion is bound to the distal end of each CUB1 module, through six ligands contributed by Glu45, Asp53, Asp98, and two water molecules. These acidic residues and Tyr17 are conserved in approximately two-thirds of the CUB repertoire and define a novel, Ca2+-binding CUB module subset. The C1s structure was used to build a model of the C1r-C1s CUB1-EGF heterodimer, which in C1 connects C1r to C1s and mediates interaction with C1q. A structural model of the C1q/C1r/C1s interface is proposed, where the rod-like collagen triple helix of C1q is accommodated into a groove along the transversal axis of the C1r-C1s heterodimer.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

The emerging pathogen Moraxella catarrhalis interacts with complement inhibitor C4b binding protein through ubiquitous surface proteins A1 and A2.

Moraxella catarrhalis ubiquitous surface protein A2 (UspA2) mediates resistance to the bactericidal activity of normal human serum. In this study, an interaction between the complement fluid phase regulator of the classical pathway, C4b binding protein (C4BP), and M. catarrhalis mutants lacking UspA1 and/or UspA2 was analyzed by flow cytometry and a RIA. Two clinical isolates of M. catarrhalis expressed UspA2 at a higher density than UspA1. The UspA1 mutants showed a decreased C4BP binding (37.6% reduction), whereas the UspA2-deficient Moraxella mutants displayed a strongly reduced (94.6%) C4BP binding compared with the wild type. In addition, experiments with recombinantly expressed UspA1(50-770) and UspA2(30-539) showed that C4BP (range, 1-1000 nM) bound to the two proteins in a dose-dependent manner. The equilibrium constants (K(D)) for the UspA1(50-770) and UspA2(30-539) interactions with a single subunit of C4BP were 13 microM and 1.1 microM, respectively. The main isoform of C4BP contains seven identical alpha-chains and one beta-chain linked together with disulfide bridges, and the alpha-chains contain eight complement control protein (CCP) modules. The UspA1 and A2 bound to the alpha-chain of C4BP, and experiments with C4BP lacking CCP2, CCP5, or CCP7 showed that these three CCPs were important for the Usp binding. Importantly, C4BP bound to the surface of M. catarrhalis retained its cofactor activity as determined by analysis of C4b degradation. Taken together, M. catarrhalis interferes with the classical complement activation pathway by binding C4BP to UspA1 and UspA2.

Amino Acid Motifs↗

The targets of the lytic antibody response against Trypanosoma cruzi.

Trypanosoma cruzi trypomastigotes, but not epimastigotes, are normally resistant to the lytic effects of complement from vertebrate hosts susceptible to infection. This resistance facilitates parasite survival and infectivity. During the course of chronic infections, however, the vertebrate hosts produce antibodies that render the trypomastigotes sensitive to lysis, primarily via the alternative complement cascade and amplified by the classical pathway. Here, Greice Krautz, Jessica Kissinger and Antoniana Krettli summarize research on lytic antibodies, and on their respective target(s) on the T. cruzi surface. These targets are useful in tests aimed at the diagnosis of chronic Chagas disease for control of cure after specific treatment and for vaccine development.

Animals↗

FUT-175, a synthetic inhibitor of the complement pathway, protects against the inactivation of infectious retroviruses by human serum.

Serum-induced inactivation of retroviruses is the most critical limitation for in vivo gene transfer therapy. To solve this problem, we searched for reagents that protect retroviruses from inactivation. The effects of the protease inhibitors FOY-007 and FOY-305 and of an inhibitor of the complement pathway FUT-175, all of which have been used clinically, were investigated. All of these agents protected against the inactivation of retroviruses by human serum, with 1 microM FUT-175 providing the most effective protection. Thus, the co-administration of FUT-175 with retroviruses may make retrovirus-mediated in vivo gene transfer feasible for the treatment of patients. FUT-175 dose-dependently inhibited the classical pathway of complement in a hemolysis protection assay of sensitized sheep erythrocytes with guinea pig serum or by cell-lysis assay of mouse fibroblasts with human serum. However, increasing the FUT-175 concentration by 10-fold (10 microM) did not produce further protection against retroviral inactivation in most human sera. There was also no correlation between the serum-induced inactivation of retroviruses and either the amount of anti-alpha-galactosyl (anti-alpha-Gal) antibody or the complement activity in human serum. These results suggest that retroviruses are not inactivated by utilizing the same pathway leading to cell lysis by the classical complement system.

3T3 Cells↗

Complement activation by Coccidioides immitis: in vitro and clinical studies.

Mycelial- or spherule-phase derivatives of Coccidioides immitis caused a decrease in vitro of total hemolytic complement in serum from a nonsensitized person. Activation involved both classic and alternative pathways as shown by deprssion of hemolytic C4 and by generation of products of activation of components C3, C4, and factor B. In addition, functional complement activity or immunoreactive levels of complement components or both were measured in 23 patients with self-limited or disseminated coccidioidomycosis. Low total hemolytic complement was found in nine, usually during the early phase of primary illness, and was transient. Hemolytic C4 was low, and the effect of inulin to decrease complement levels was blunted, suggested both classic and alternative pathways may be deficient. However, associated depression of immunoreactive levels of components assayed (C3, C4, C5, factor B, and properdin) was not consistently found. This disparity raises the possibility of enhanced in vitro inactivation analogous to activation by immune complexes.

Coccidioides↗

Effects of FUT-175, a novel synthetic protease inhibitor, on the development of adjuvant arthritis in rats and some biological reactions dependent on complement activation.

1. The effects of FUT-175 on the development of adjuvant arthritis in rats were studied and compared with those of indomethacin. FUT-175 inhibited both primary and secondary paw lesions in the adjuvant arthritic rats when it was administered orally on a daily basis from the day before through 18th day after adjuvant injection. 2. In addition, FUT-175 inhibited the increase in hemolytic complement in adjuvant arthritic rats in a dose-dependent manner. 3. Indomethacin also showed an inhibitory effect on the development of arthritic lesion, but had no effect on the increase in hemolytic complement in the adjuvant arthritis in rats. 4. Furthermore, FUT-175 inhibited the activities of various proteases in vitro, and then strongly inhibited complement-mediated hemolysis via the classical and alternative pathways, while indomethacin had no effect on them. 5. These results suggest that the anti-inflammatory activity of FUT-175 may differ from indomethacin in the mechanisms of action and, at least in part, due to the anti-complement activity.

Animals↗

CRIT is expressed on podocytes in normal human kidney and upregulated in membranous nephropathy.

Complement C2 receptor inhibitor trispanning (CRIT) is a novel human complement regulatory cell surface receptor. It binds the human complement protein C2 and blocks the classical pathway of complement activation, thus protecting the cell against complement attack. CRIT expression in the kidney was analyzed by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. Normal kidney and renal biopsies of patients with different nephropathies were studied. In glomeruli, CRIT protein was expressed only in podocytes. CRIT was also detected in endothelial cells of arterioles and arteries, but not of veins and peritubular and glomerular capillaries. A homogeneous and marked upregulation of CRIT was observed in podocytes in membranous nephropathy (MN). In focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) and minimal change disease, CRIT was downregulated in glomeruli with a loss of the staining in sclerotic lesions of FSGS. No specific changes were observed in the other nephropathies studied. However, podocytes showed in all pathologies a redistribution of CRIT in the cell bodies of 'activated' podocytes. The intensity of mRNA transcription correlated directly with the protein staining in the normal kidney and in MN. These data indicate that CRIT is expressed in the normal human kidney essentially by glomerular podocytes and arterial endothelial cells. The podocyte CRIT expression is upregulated in MN, which is in strong contrast with the known loss of podocyte complement receptor 1. CRIT might represent the last line of defense against complement aggression in MN, and the upregulation of CRIT in 'activated' podocytes might represent a similar self-defense mechanism.

Carrier Proteins↗

Hereditary properdin deficiency in three families of Tunisian Jews.

Hereditary properdin deficiency is a rare genetic disorder of the complement system. Three propositi and six additional family members with properdin deficiency have been found following analysis of the hemolytic activity of the classical (CH50) and the alternative (AP50) complement pathways in the sera of 101 survivors of meningococcal infections and 59 survivors of severe pneumococcal and Haemophilus influenza infections. All the properdin-deficient individuals had undetectable levels of properdin by radial immunodiffusion and by Western blotting. They belonged to three non-related families of Tunisian Jews who came from different parts of Tunisia. Two patients had a meningococcal infection at 15 and 16 years of age, respectively, and one had Haemophilus influenza meningitis at 1.5 years of age. In contrast to the fulminant and fatal course of meningococcal infection which was previously described in some properdin-deficient patients, our patients had a relatively mild disease. Properdin deficiency may not be as rare as previously thought. Analysis of AP50, in addition to CH50, in sera of patients who had meningococcal infection, will probably disclose many more cases of hereditary properdin deficiency. In addition, our findings indicate that, as in other complement abnormalities, hereditary properdin deficiency may also be associated with the ethnic origin of the patient.

Adolescent↗

Circulating immune complexes in Indian childhood cirrhosis.

Considerable immunological dysfunction has been reported in Indian childhood cirrhosis (Chandra, 1970; Chawla et al., 1973). These observations suggest that the progressive tissue damage observed in this disease may have an immunological basis. To further test this hypothesis, sera from 18 patients with Indian childhood cirrhosis (ICC) and nine age-matched siblings were examined for the presence of soluble immune complexes and activation of complement. The presence of circulating immune complexes (CIC) in ICC is reported for the first time. Immune complexes were measured by the liquid phase 125I-Clq binding (Clq BA) and 125I-conglutinin binding (KBA) assays, and observed in 13/18 (72%) and 10/18 (56%) patients respectively. A significant correlation was found between the two tests. In contrast, only two out of nine siblings had elevated levels of immune complexes, and these were positive in both tests. Evidence was also obtained for in vivo activation of complement via the classical pathway. Total haemolytic complement (CH50) values were depressed in 13/18 (72%) patients, while C4 and C3 values were low in 5/16 (31%) and 4/18 (22%) patients respectively. C3 degradation products were found in substantial amounts in six patients. Complement levels in siblings were uniformly normal. These observations suggest that the immune complexes demonstrated may be of phlogistic significance and merit further characterization.

Antigen-Antibody Complex↗

Immunologic factors affecting the in-vivo and in-vitro survival of the Legionnaires' disease bacterium.

Immunologic factors affecting viability of the Legionnaires' disease (LD) bacterium were studied in vitro and in vivo in mice and guinea pigs. In bactericidal tests, fresh human serum quickly killed LD cells. Heating fresh serum to 56 degrees C for 30 min destroyed bactericidal activity; absorbing it with bentonite had little effect. Fresh normal human serum was more effective than guinea pig serum. Adding LD cells to fresh normal human serum caused a greater than 50% depletion in functional complement activity, apparently by activating the classic C-142 pathway, because human serum deficient in C4 was not bactericidal. Antibodies to the Knoxville 1 LD strain in guinea pigs showed enhanced complement-mediated bactericidal activity. Without complement, immune guinea pig or human sera prolonged in-vitro LD cell survival. Antibodies to Knoxville 1 in mice depressed in-vitro bactericidal activity of human complement against Knoxville 1. In-vitro bactericidal tests support in-vivo studies in subcutaneous chambers. Complement-deficient mice immunized with Knoxville 1 were (P less than 0.01) less resistant to homologous challenge than nonimmunized mice. Immunized guinea pigs had a greater than 80-fold increase in resistance to subcutaneous-chamber infection.

Animals↗

Ontogeny of the third component of complement of Japanese quails.

Ontogeny of quail complement was examined in terms of serum C3 level, cytolytic activity of total complement, functional activity of C3 via the classical pathway (CCP) and an alternative route (ACP), and the distribution of C3-bearing cells. In serum, C3 was detected from 7-day-old embryos by rocket immunoelectrophoresis. Thereafter, its concentration increased rapidly and reached the adult level at 4-5 weeks of age. Total activities of serum complement via CCP and ACP, both of which were assayed by cell lysis, were detected first in 10-day-old embryos, and increased sharply after hatching, reaching the maximum level at 5 weeks of age. Deposition of C3 on the cell surface via CCP and ACP was also clearly demonstrated from 10-day-old embryos by haemagglutination and immunofluorescence techniques, respectively. By an immunofluorescence technique using anti-quail C3 monospecific serum, cells belonging to the reticuloendothelial system were indicated to serve major sites for the synthesis of C3 during ontogenesis.

Aging↗

Activation of complement by human IgG1 and human IgG3 antibodies against the human leucocyte antigen CD52.

Activation of the complement cascade by immunoglobulin G (IgG) plays a major role in the host defense against pathogens. Using recombinant human antibodies specific for the leucocyte antigen CD52, different allotypes of human IgG1 subclass were compared for their ability to activate human complement. In addition the roles of the different length hinge regions of IgG1 and IgG3 were investigated. It was found that the naturally occurring allotypes G1m(a,z) and G1m(f), and one artificially created isoallotype, G1m(null), did not significantly differ in their overall ability to cause cell lysis. However, some differences in binding of individual components of the classical activation pathway were detected. More of the complement component C1s seemed to be associated with the allotype G1m(f), although this did not result in an overall improvement in lytic potency. In this system the wild-type IgG3 was found to be less effective in complement lysis than IgG1. By shortening the hinge region of IgG3 to resemble that of an IgG1 antibody, increased complement binding was observed compared with that of wild-type IgG3 and the IgG1 allotypes. The overall lytic potency of the antibody was also improved compared with wild type IgG3 and it was also slightly more effective than the IgG1 allotypes.

Antigens, CD↗

The activation of the C3b feedback cycle with human complement components. I. Through the classical pathway.

Reaction between the fourth, the oxidized second and the activated first components of human complement generated the stable enzyme C4oxy2 capable of cleaving the third component and depleting total complement in human serum. This enzyme was shown further to activate the C3b feedback cycle as shown by its ability to consume factor B in serum and the reduction in the extent of complement consumption in the presence of EDTA. OxyC2 on its own gave rise to C3 cleavage in normal human serum by a pathway needing classical pathway components. This unexpected finding suggests that there may be a 'C-1 tickover' in serum analogous to the 'C3b tickover'; the presence of oxyC2 allowing the 'capture' of the trivial amounts of C42 normally formed. In preliminary experiments in the rat, C4oxy2 was successfully formed in vivo, where it gave rise to cleavage of C3, consumption of C5, depletion of cobra venom factor cofactors and a biphasic change in the neutrophil count.

Animals↗

Inhibition of complement activation in aged individuals due to increased plasma fibronectin concentration.

The influence of fibronectin levels on complement activation by immune complexes and non-immune activators in elderly humans was investigated. The present study demonstrates for the first time a shift in complement activation from the classical to the alternative pathway, if the fibronectin concentration rises above a certain level (near 1 mg/ml). Plasma of elderly individuals often contains large amounts of fibronectin, the reason for which is unknown. While C1 consumption is inhibited under these conditions, C3 depletion remains largely unaffected. This could be due to a compensatory triggering of the alternative reaction sequence caused by fibronectin deposition at and blockade of C1-activating sites. Probable physiologic implications of this changed complement activation pattern are discussed.

Adult↗

Inhibition of human and guinea pig complement by heparin fractions differing in affinity for antithrombin III or in average molecular weight.

Heparin comprises a mixture of structurally related molecules. Affinity for antithrombin III (AT III) is a prerequisite for its anticoagulant activity, which also is dependent on its molecular weight. In this study heparin fractions prepared by affinity chromatography on immobilized AT III and by gel filtration chromatography were compared for their ability to inhibit complement mediated haemolysis and both classical and alternative pathway C3 activation as measured by crossed immunoelectrophoresis. In normal human serum, inhibition of haemolysis and of heat-aggregated IgG (HAGG) as well as zymosan induced C3 activation by heparin was found to be independent of its AT III affinity and of its molecular weight (range 4800-17,000), on a weight basis. In guinea pig serum similar results were obtained for inhibition of HAGG induced C3 activation, but inhibition of haemolysis showed a marked molecular weight dependency and was also reduced for the fraction with low affinity for AT III. This may reflect a species difference in the haemolytic action of human and guinea pig complement. It is concluded that inhibition of human complement by heparin is independent of its anticoagulant activity and of its size and it is suggested that a fraction of heparin with reduced risk for bleeding and platelet aggregation is a potential anti-inflammatory agent.

Animals↗

CCP1-4 of the C4b-binding protein alpha-chain are required for factor I mediated cleavage of complement factor C3b.

C4b-binding protein (C4BP) is a potent regulator of the complement system because it strongly inhibits the classical pathway of complement. Furthermore, C4BP serves as a cofactor to factor I (FI) in the cleavage of fluid phase C3b and can, therefore, influence the alternative pathway of complement. The major form of C4BP in plasma consists of seven identical alpha-chains and one beta-chain. Both types of subunits are composed of complement control protein (CCP) domains, eight such domains make up one alpha-chain. To elucidate the structural requirements for the interaction between C3b and the alpha-chain, nineteen recombinant C4BP variants were used: six truncated monomeric variants, nine polymeric variants in which individual CCPs were deleted, and finally four variants in which double alanine residues were introduced between CCPs. We found that C4BP requires all four N-terminal CCPs of the alpha-chain, with CCP2 and 3 being the most important, to act as a cofactor in the cleavage of C3b. Also, a cluster of positively charged amino acids on the interface between CCP1 and 2 is involved in the binding. Compared to the interaction with C4b, we conclude that binding of C3b to C4BP requires larger molecular surface on C4BP. We found that C4BP was able to act as cofactor in degradation of surface bound C3b and to accelerate decay of alternative C3-convertase. However, in both cases 1,000-fold molar excess of C4BP over factor H (FH), well known inhibitor of the alternative pathway, was required to obtain the same effect.

Amino Acid Substitution↗

Non-proteolytic, receptor/ligand interactions associate cellular membrane type-1 matrix metalloproteinase with the complement component C1q.

Membrane type-1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP), a prototypic member of the membrane-tethered MMP family, is an essential component of a cellular proteolysis apparatus. Recognition of protein cleavage targets followed by proteolysis is a main function of MT1-MMP. For the first time, however, we present evidence that MT1-MMP and other structurally related membrane MMPs bind C1q, the recognition unit of the first component of complement C1 that initiates activation of the classical pathway of complement. These interactions involve the catalytic domain of MT1-MMP and the C1q globular domain. In silico modeling followed by mutagenesis and the in vitro and cell-based binding studies showed that the His(171)-Glu-Lys-Gln-Ala-Asp(176) and Val(223)-Arg-Asn(224) peptide sequences of MT1-MMP are directly involved in the binding with C1q. These sequence regions are spatially distant from the active site of the protease. As a result, the catalytically active and the catalytically latent forms of cellular MT1-MMP are both efficient in binding with C1q. In agreement, despite the MT1-MMP/C1q interactions, C1q is totally resistant to MT1-MMP proteolysis. The discovery of the unconventional, receptor/ligand-like interactions of MT1-MMP with C1q, an essential component of immunity, is a significant step toward a more complete understanding of the role of this membrane-tethered protease in cancer.

Amino Acid Sequence↗