Lecture 5: Complement System Flashcards
Activation of the complement pathway can occur in 1 of 3 ways:
- Classical pathway
- Alternative Pathway
- Lectin pathway
Activation of the complement system involves:
Sequential proteolytic cleavage of substrates that results in a cascade reaction
Functions of the complement system (4)
- Lyse target cells
- Promote phagocytosis
- Induce inflammatory response
- Clear immune complexes
What activates the classical pathway?
Antigen binding to antibody
What activates the lectin pathway?
Microbial cell wall
What activates the alternative pathway?
Microbial surfaces
Initiators involved in complement activation
C1q, MBL, ficolins
Convertase activators
C1r, C1s, C4b, C2a
Enzymatic mediators
C3 convertase, C5 convertase
Convertase activators and enzymatic mediators lead to the activation of:
Opsonins, anaphylatoxins, membrane attack complex, complement receptors
Anaphylatoxins trigger
Inflammation by sending signals that cause neutrophils and monocytes to travel to the site of infection
What ensures that there is no excessive or inappropriate activation of complement?
Regulatory proteins
Activation of the classical complement pathway requires
One or more antibody-antigen complexes containing IgM or IgG.
C1qr2s2
A molecule that binds a single IgM molecule or two IgG molecules
Why is IgM a better activator of complement than IgG?
C1qr2s2 only needs to bind one IgM molecule, but it has to bind two IgG molecules.
Steps of C1qr2s2 complex binding to antibody
- C1q binds antigen-bound antibody, inducing a conformational change in one C1r molecule (activating it)
- C1r molecule activates the second C1r molecule and the two C1s molecules
- C1s cleaves C4 (first) and C2.
- C4b (from cleavage above) binds membrane close to C1 and then binds C2, exposing it to C1s action.
- C1s cleaves C2, creating the C3 convertase
How is the membrane attack complex formed?
After C5b complexes with C6, C7, C8, and C9 are recruited to the cell membrane. C5b678 causes the polymerization of C9, which creates the MAC.
The alternative complement pathway is involved in (innate/adaptive) immunity
Innate
Alternative complement pathway is triggered by
A range of molecules of microbial origin, as well as nonpathogenic molecules. Not triggered by antibody-antigen.
Function of C3 in alternative complement pathway
The spontaneous hydrolysis of C3 initiates the alternative complement pathway
C3bBb
Generated in the alternative complement pathway. Has C3 convertase activity.
C3bBb is stabilized by
Properdin, a serum protein
C3bBb3b has the activity of
C5 convertase
What happens when C5b deposits on the surface of the microorganism?
It sequentially binds C6, C7, and C8 which leads to the polymerization of C9 and the formation of the MAC.
Lectin complement pathway is involved in (innate/adaptive) immunity
Innate
The lectin complement pathway is activated by:
The interaction of mannose-binding lectin (MBL) with mannose residues on glycoproteins and carbohydrates expressed by certain microorganisms
Structurally, MBL looks like
C1