Week 6 Flashcards
2 examples of antibacterial enzymes
lysozyme (breaks down peptidoglycan bonds), and secretory phospholipase A2.
peptidoglycan structure
An alternating polymer of N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) and N-acetylmuramic acid (MurNAc), strengthened by cross-linking peptide bridges. In bacterial cell walls.
enzymatic activity of lysozyme
Selectively cleaves the B-(1,4) linkage between the two different sugars in petidoglycans
What type of bacteria is lysozyme more effective against?
Gram-positive bacteria, in which the peptidoglycan cell wall is exposed.
Three important classes of antimicrobial peptides
Defensins, cathelicidins, and histatins
Defensins
Short, cationic peptides of 30-40 AA long, usually with three disulfide bonds stabilizing a common amphipathic structure
Three subfamilies of defensins
alpha, beta, and theta defensins
cryptdins
alpha-defensins constitutively produced by Paneth cells of the gut, processed by prteases such as MPM in mice or trypsin in humans
B-defensins
Lack the long propiece of alpha-defensins and are generall produced specifically in response to the presence of microbial products.
lamellar bodies
lipid-rich secretory organelles that release their contents into the extracellular space to form a watertight lipid sheet in the epidermis and the pulmonary surfactant layer in the lung. Produced by keratinocytes and type II pneumocytes.
C1 protein components
C1q (recognition protein), C1r, and C1s (proteases)
Three complement pathways
Lectin pathway, classical pathway, and alternative pathway
Lectin pathway initiation of complement
initiated by soluble carbohydrate-binding proteins, such as mannose-binding lectin (MBL) and ficolins. Specific proteases called MBL-associated serine proteases (MASPs) that assocaite with these recognition proteins then trigger the cleavage of complement proteins
Classical pathway initiation of complement
initiated when the complement component C1 either recognizes a microbial surface protein directly or binds to antibodies bound to a pathogen.
Alternative pathway initiation of complement
Can be initiated by spontaneous hydrolysis and activation of C3, which can then bind directly to microbial surfaces.
C3 convertase
Shared step in all three complement activation pathways. Multicomponent protease covalently bound to microbial surface that cleaves C3 to form large amounts of C3b and C3a
C3b
Main effector protein of the complement system. Opsonin that binds directly to microbial surface.
C3a
Small peptide that binds to specific receptors and helps induce inflammation.
C5 convertase
Made when C3b binds to C3 convertase. Cleaves C5, liberating the highly inflammatory peptide C5a and generating C5b, which initiates the ‘late’ stages of complement and forms MAC on pathogen surface.
What happens when C3 is cleaved?
C3a is released and the remaining C3b undergoes conformational changes that allow its previously hidden thioester bond to react with a hydroxyl or amino group on nearby microbial surfaces.
Components recognized by the lectin pathway of complement
Lipotechoic Acid of G+ bacteria, LPS of G- acteria, and mannose ends of glycans of yeast and fungi (as opposed to sialic acid)
Four proteins that can initiate the lectin pathway of complement
Mannose-binding lectin (MBL), L-ficolin, M-ficolin, and H-ficolin
What are the shared structural and functional components of MBL and ficolins, and how do they differ?
All are composed of a collagen stalk and form trimers or tetramers and have recognition portions that have weak monomeric recognition of microbial components, but high avidity when polymerized.
MBL recognition domains recognize mannose, fucose, and N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc), while ficolins have a fibringoen-like domain with a general specificity for oligosaccharides containing acetylated sugars.
All are synthesized and secreted by the liver, with the exception of M-ficolin, which is synthesized and secreted by lung and blood cells.
How does MBL activate complement?
MBL is bound with MBL-associated serine proteases (MASPs) in the circulation, which are inactive zymogens. Binding of MBL to microbial surface activates MASP-1, which in turn activates MASP-2, which can cleave and activate C4 and C2.
C4b binds to microbial surface and binds to one C2a molecule, forming C4b2a, which is the C3 convertase of the lectin pathway