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Activation of the classical pathway of complement by Hageman factor fragment.

A fragment of activated Hageman factor (HFf) has been demonstrated to activate the classical pathway of complement in a manner that is analogous to complement activation by antigen-antibody complexes or aggregated IgG. Thus C1, C4, C2, C3, and C5 were found to be depleted on addition of HFf to serum. The reduction of serum hemolytic activity was maximal upon addition of 5 micrograms HFf and an incubation time of 60 min at 37 degrees C. Consumption of the total complement activity and of the individual components proceeded in a dose-dependent fashion. No comparable activity was observed when equimolar concentrations of either the native Hageman factor (HF) or two-chain activated form of Hageman factor (HFa) were incubated with serum. Further, the ability of HFf to convert serum C3 and C4 was similar to that of aggregated IgG as assessed by immunoelectrophoresis. This function of HFf appeared to be independent of plasminogen (or plasmin) since plasminogen-free serum was indistinguishable from normal serum. Radial double immunodiffusion experiments using antiserum to C1q, C1r, and C1s on HFf-treated serum demonstrated the dissociation of the C1 trimolecular complex, with concomitant reduction of C1r antigenicity that is indicative of C1 activation. Thus, HFf appears to lead to C1 activation upon incubation with serum or when incubated with partially purified C1. This may represent a control link between activation of the intrinsic coagulation-kinin pathway and the initiation of the classical complement cascade.

Animals

The activation of C5 in the fluid phase and in the absence of C3 through the classical pathway of the complement system.

Unsensitized guinea-pig erythrocytes (Egp) were lysed by a combination of eight isolated, human-derived complement components, Cls, C4, C2, C5, C6, C7, C8 and C9 (Cls-C9exC3), even in the presence of anti-C3. It was determined that a factor was generated in the reaction mixture of Cls, C4, C2, C5 and C6, which had a lytic activity against Egp when C7, C8 and C9 were added. The lytic factor was similar to C56 in the following properties: the activity of the lytic factor decreased when incubated with C7 prior to its reaction with Egp, the lytic factor did not bind to Egp by itself but it did bind in the presence of C7, EDTA did not have any inhibitory effect on the lytic factor, and the activity of the lytic factor was lost by treatment with anti-C5 or anti-C6 but not by treatment with anti-C4. Furthermore, C5a, a cleavage product of C5, was clearly detected in the reaction mixture of Cls, C4, C2 and C5. These findings indicate that C5 can be activated proteolytically into C5a and C5b in the fluid phase solely by the classical pathway C3 convertase, C42, without any participation of C3.

Animals

Pulmonary alveolar type II epithelial cells synthesize and secrete proteins of the classical and alternative complement pathways.

The serum complement system is a major mediator of inflammation reactions. Two of the complement proteins, the third (C3) and fifth (C5) components, are precursors of potent phlogistic molecules, C3a and C5a. C5a has potent chemotactic activity and plays an active role in pulmonary inflammation. We present evidence suggesting that several complement proteins, including C5, are synthesized locally in the lung in alveolar type II epithelial cells. Lung tissue from normal mice synthesized and secreted C5 protein similar to the C5 protein in mouse serum, whereas lung tissue from C5-deficient mice did not. Lung tissues from both normal and C5-deficient mice synthesized C3. Rat lung tissue synthesized and secreted C5, as well as C2, C4, C3, and factor B. Cultures of type II cells (95% type II cells, 5% macrophages) regularly synthesized all these proteins. In contrast, cultures of macrophages alone synthesized large amounts of C2 and factor B, and in some experiments C3 and C4, but never C5. The C5 synthesized by the rat cells was slightly larger than serum C5 (200 kD compared with 180 kD) and was not processed to the two-chain molecule seen in serum. Rat lung tissue and purified type II cells contained C5 mRNA with the same molecular mass as the C5 mRNA in rat liver and in mouse lung and liver. Human type II cells also synthesized C5, as well as C2, C4, C3, and factor B. Human pulmonary macrophages synthesized only C2, factor B, and, in some experiments, C3. Synthesis of complement proteins in cells that line the alveolar wall may provide a local source of these proteins for inflammatory responses in the lung. Local synthesis of complement proteins could be regulated independently of the synthesis in the liver.

Animals

Studies on the haemolytic complement of the dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius). I. Classical pathway haemolytic activity in serum.

Classical pathway haemolytic complement (CPHC) of the dromedary was assayed under standardised conditions. A total of 14 indicator systems of red blood cells (RBC) and haemolysins were investigated. Highest CH50 titre was obtained with rabbit RBC sensitised with goat haemolysin. Among the factors investigated were: ionic strength, Mg2+, Ca2+, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) concentration, pH, incubation time and temperature. The standard system of titrating the HC levels consisted of rabbit RBC sensitised with goat haemolysin, sucrose veronal buffer (SVBS) pH 7.4, ionic strength 0.14 M and Ca2+ and Mg2+ concentrations of 4.0 x 10(-4) M and 1 x 10(-3) M, respectively. Incubation at 37 degrees C for 120 min gave the highest HC activity. Using these standardised conditions HC levels were determined in 79 camels aged between 3 months and 15 years. Highest mean HC value of 873 +/- 26.6 CH50 units ml-1 were recorded in the age group of 1-5 year old camels and the lowest mean HC value of 598 +/- 120.8 CH50 units ml-1 in the age group of 10-15 year old camels. Adult males in the age group 5-10 years had significantly higher mean HC levels than their female counterparts (P < 0.0001).

Animals

C4b-binding protein, a regulatory component of the classical pathway of complement, is an acute-phase protein and is elevated in systemic lupus erythematosus.

A radioimmunoassay using monoclonal and polyclonal antihuman C4b-binding protein (C4BP) antibody was developed to quantitate C4BP in serum. Using the assay, the levels of C4BP in healthy individuals, in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and in acute-phase individuals were determined. The levels of C4BP are significantly elevated in individuals with SLE (186%; p = 0.0001) and are even higher in individuals during the acute phase (286%; p = 0.0001). To confirm whether or not individuals were in the acute-phase response, serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were assessed. In the acute-phase response, CRP levels were 100-fold elevated over normals, but did not correlate with increases in C4BP (r = -0.031; p = 0.899). In SLE patients, the CRP levels were significantly, but moderately, elevated (5-fold; p = 0.028). The data indicate that C4BP is an acute-phase reactant and is differentially regulated from CRP during the acute-phase response.

Acute-Phase Proteins

Rapid in vitro immobilisation of purified Treponema pallidum (Nichols strain), and protection by extraction fluids from rabbit testes.

The use of Percoll-purified treponemes in an assay similar to the Treponema pallidum Immobilisation test demonstrated that immobilisation of purified treponemes by seronegative normal human serum proceeded at a much higher rate than that of unpurified treponemes. This suggests that the removal of the testicular extract makes the treponemes more vulnerable to this action. A preincubation of the purified treponemes with the testicular extract from infected or uninfected testes delayed their rate of immobilisation to that demonstrated by the unpurified treponemes. This showed that substances produced during the infection are probably not responsible for the delay in immobilisation. Discrimination between the classical and the alternative pathway of complement activation, studied by the ethylene glycol-bis (beta-aminoethyl ether) N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (EGTA) method, showed that the classical pathway was responsible for the rapid immobilisation of the purified treponemes. However, the slow immobilisation in the EGTA-serum samples suggested a minor role of the alternative pathway in the immobilisation of the purified treponemes. Since the testicular extracts exerted an anti-complement activity, it needs to be investigated whether the protection offered to the purified treponemes by the testicular extracts is based on their deteriorating effect on the classical complement pathway or is due to a re-establishment of the protective cover around the treponemes.

Animals

Human serum induced opsonization of immunoglobulin G-coated polystyrene microspheres with complement components C3 and C4 as measured by flow cytometry.

Human IgG-coated polystyrene microspheres (IgG-ms) were incubated with human serum followed by biotinylated monoclonal anti-C3d or anti-C4d antibody, and phycoerythrin-streptavidin. The intensity of fluorescence was measured by flow cytometry and corresponds to the amount of deposited C3 and C4. Binding of C3 and C4 was dependent on the activation of the classical pathway of complement and on the amount of IgG adsorbed to the particles. No deposition was observed on control particles coated with bovine serum albumin or ovalbumin. Incubation of constant amounts of IgG-ms with increasing amounts of normal human serum (NHS) resulted in a dose-dependent increase in C3 deposition. The same result was found for C4 deposition at moderate NHS dilutions, but less C4 was detectable using a higher input of NHS. Half-maximum C3 and C4 deposition was observed at a mean serum dilution of 1/114 and 1/520, respectively (n = 26). No correlation was found between C4 or C3 deposition and either total C4 and C3 serum concentrations as measured by nephelometry or complement-mediated lysis of antibody-coated sheep red blood cells. Reduced or absent C4 or C3 deposition was found in the sera of patients with low amounts or deficiencies of components involved early in classical complement pathway activation whereas essentially normal C4 or C3 deposition was obtained with the sera of patients with deficiencies in components of the membrane attack complex. With this simple and specific functional assay using stable reagents an altered function of early components of the classical pathway of complement may be quickly and reliably detected in routine diagnostic laboratories. Moreover, such opsonized and well characterized particles may be useful in assays of phagocytic cell function.

Complement C3

Biotinylation of monoclonal antibodies prevents their ability to activate the classical pathway of complement.

Biotinylation of mAb has become a standard procedure for a variety of applications that exploit the specific high affinity interaction between biotin and avidin. In the present study, we investigated how biotinylation of mAb affects their ability to sensitize target cells to C-dependent lysis in vitro. mAb were biotinylated by cross-linking biotin covalently with an N-succinimidyl ester to the epsilon-amino groups of lysine residues. Human RBC were treated with two rat mAb, either alone or together: one against glycophorin A (YTH89.1), another against CD59 (protectin; YTH53.1), an inhibitor of the membrane attack complex of C. Melanoma cells (G361) were attacked by a mouse mAb (27A) against an O-acetylated GD3 ganglioside. As compared with the nonbiotinylated mAb, the biotinylated forms of all the investigated mAb were much weaker in causing classical C pathway-mediated lysis of the target cells. Biotinylation did not reduce the ability of the mAb to bind to their Ag, nor of the anti-CD59 mAb to neutralize the C lysis-restrictive effect of CD59. In binding assays using 125I-labeled C1q, significantly less C1q bound to the biotinylated anti-glycophorin-A and anti-CD59 mAb than to the nonbiotinylated mAb. These data show that biotinylated antibodies do not activate the classical C pathway because binding of C1q to the antibody Fc-regions is blocked.

Animals

Killing of the S and Re forms of Salmonella minnesota via the classical pathway of complement activation in guinea-pig and human sera.

The S (wildtype) and Re form (heptose-deficient, core-defective mutant) of Salmonella minnesota were killed by treatment with normal guinea-pig serum (GPS). Using C4-deficient GPS and serum containing 0.02 M ethyleneglycol-bis-(beta-aminoethylether)-tetraacetic acid and 0.02 M MgCl2 (EGTA-Mg2+) a reduced killing rate was observed. In normal GPS diluted 1:10 containing 0.02 M EGTA-Mg2+ or in C4-deficient GPS diluted 1:10 no killing occurred, whereas the same serum dilution without EGTA-Mg2+ showed a strong bactericidal effect indicating a dependency upon C4 and Ca2+ ions. Furthermore, in contrast to normal human serum (NHS) no killing occurred in a selective complete C1q-deficient human serum. The bactericidal effect, however, could be restored by addition of highly purified C1q; this is a further indication for a dependency upon the classical pathway of C activation. The C-dependent bactericidal activity was totally abolished when phosphate buffer was used, partially reduced in the presence of veronal-buffered saline (VBS), and not affected by tris-(hydroxymethyl)-aminomethane(Tris) or thioglycollate-buffered system EGTA-Mg2+ alone slightly reduced the growth rate of the bacteria whereas disodium ethylene diaminetetraacetate (EDTA) had a bacteriostatic effect on the S-form. The inhibition of the growth of the Re-form by EDTA was amplified by the addition of serum. Pre-incubation of bacteria with serum for absorption of antibodies did not increase the killing rate of such pre-treated bacteria excluding an antibody-mediated bactericidal reaction. Furthermore, pre-treatment of the bacteria with GPS at 0 degrees reduced the serum sensitivity of both types of bacteria.

Animals

Immune evasion properties of herpes simplex virus type 1 glycoprotein gC.

Herpes simplex virus type I (HSV-1) glycoprotein gC binds complement component C3b, and purified gC inhibits complement activation. Two HSV strains carrying mutations in the gC gene which rendered them unable to bind C3b were compared with wild-type and marker-rescued viruses to evaluate the role of gC on the virion in protecting HSV-1 from complement-mediated neutralization. The gC mutant viruses were markedly susceptible to neutralization by nonimmune human serum, showing up to a 5,000-fold decline in titer after 1 h of incubation with serum. In contrast, wild-type or marker-rescued viruses showed a twofold reduction in titer. Studies with hypogammaglobulinemic and immunoglobulin G-depleted serum supported the observation that neutralization occurred in the absence of antibody. Neutralization of gC mutant strains by nonimmune serum was rapid; their half-life was 2 to 2.5 min, compared with 1 h for wild-type virus. Ethylene glycol-bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (EGTA)-treated human serum or C4-deficient guinea pig serum failed to neutralize gC mutant strains, indicating a role for components of the classical complement pathway. gC had little additional effect on neutralization by the combination of antibody plus complement compared with complement alone. The results indicate that the magnitude of the protection offered by gC-1 is larger than previously recognized; that in the absence of gC-1, complement neutralization is rapid and is mediated by components of the classical complement pathway; and that gC mainly protects against antibody-independent complement neutralization, suggesting a probable role for gC early in infection, before antibodies develop.

Animals

Interaction of peptidoglycans with anti-IgGs and with complement.

This report describes the interaction of peptidoglycan (Streptococcus group A, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Micrococcus lysodeikticus) with 2 serum mediator systems, namely with the anti-IgG system and with complement. The observation that the majority of rabbits hyperimmunized with A-variant streptococcal vaccine produced anti-group carbohydrate antisera containing anti-IgGs and antibodies directed to peptidoglycan suggested that the production of these 2 latter antibodies was related. This view was supported by the finding of a monoclonal 7S anti-IgG with antibody specificity for the pentapeptide of peptidoglycan as evidenced by inhibition of the coprecipitation of 7S anti-IgG with antigen-antibody complexes by the pentapeptide. Inhibition of the anti-idiotype reaction by the pentapeptide provided further evidence for the antibody specificity of 7S anti-IgG for peptidoglycan. When added to normal human sera all peptidoglycan preparations inhibited the hemolytic activity of the sera. Consumption of C3 in C2 deficient serum and consumption of C2 in normal serum indicated the activation of both known complement pathways. Activation of the classical pathway of complement was more efficient since 50 mug of peptidoglycan consumed approximately 70% of C2 per ml normal serum whereas more than 2 mg of the same preparations was required to inactivate 17-24% of C3 in C2 deficient sera. Each of the different peptidoglycan preparations consumed similar amounts of complement in all 20 sera tested. This finding suggested that activation of the classical complement pathway by peptidoglycan was not mediated by anti-peptidoglycan antibodies present in only 20-40% of normal human sera.

Animals

DNA binds and activates complement via residues 14-26 of the human C1q A chain.

The mechanism by which DNA activates the classical complement pathway was investigated, with emphasis upon the C1q binding sites involved. DNA bound to both the collagen-like and globular regions of C1q. Binding reactivity with DNA was retained after reduction/alkylation and sodium dodecyl sulfate treatment of C1q. DNA bound preferentially to the A chain of C1q. Binding sites for DNA were localized by using synthetic C1q A chain peptides to two cationic regions within residues 14-26 and 76-92, respectively. Peptides 14-26 and 76-92 avidly bound DNA in enzyme-linked immunosorbent and gel shift assays. Peptide 14-26 also precipitated with DNA and blocked its ability to bind C1q and activate C. Replacement of the two prolines with alanines or scrambling the order of the amino acids resulted in loss of ability of peptide 14-26 to inhibit C1q binding and complement activation by DNA; similar investigations showed a sequence specificity for peptide 76-92 as well. These experiments identify C1q A chain residues 14-26 as the major site, and residues 76-92 as a secondary site, through which DNA binds C1q and activates the classical complement pathway, and demonstrate that a peptide identical to residues 14-26 can modulate C1q binding and complement activation by DNA.

Amino Acid Sequence

Binding of the pentamer/hexamer forms of mannan-binding protein to zymosan activates the proenzyme C1r2C1s2 complex, of the classical pathway of complement, without involvement of C1q.

The serum lectin, mannan binding protein (MBP), was isolated in a yield of 40 micrograms/liter from pooled normal human serum by affinity chromatography on mannan-Sepharose, followed by gel-filtration and ion-exchange chromatography and finally by passage down an anti-IgM Sepharose column. A rabbit antiserum was prepared against the purified MBP and an enzyme-linked immunoassay developed that used both the specificity of the polyclonal antibody and the Ca+(+)-dependent carbohydrate binding property of MBP. Assay of the sera from 103 blood-donors showed a wide range of MBP levels, ranging from 0 to 870 micrograms/liter. MBP, after interaction with zymosan, caused efficient activation of a C1r2 125I-C1s2 complex that was prepared by incubation of 125I-C1s2 with serum, from a patient with a complete genetic deficiency of C1q, followed by gel-filtration on Sepharose 6B. The purified MBP is composed of a mixture of trimers, tetramers, pentamers, and hexamers of an approximate 90-kDa structural unit as judged by chromatography, SDS-PAGE and electron microscopy studies. Only the molecules in the pentamer/hexamer fraction, which have a similar overall structure to that of C1q, appeared to cause efficient, zymosan-dependent, activation of C1s within the C1r2C1s2 complex. The pentamer/hexamer form of MBP may therefore play an important role in antibody-independent activation of the C system during the early stages of certain infections.

Calcium

Antibody-independent activation of C1. II. Evidence for two classes of nonimmune activators of the classical pathway of complement.

Nonimmune activation of the first component of complement (C1) by cardiolipin (CL) vesicles present specific features which were not demonstrated on immune complexes. CL vesicles which activate C1 in the presence of C1-inhibitor (C1-INH) were found to bind C1s in the absence of C1r, and to induce a specific C1r-independent cleavage of C1q-bound C1s. Therefore, several known natural nonimmune activators were analyzed by comparing their ability to activate C1 in the presence of C1-INH and to mediate a C1r-independent cleavage of C1s. Freshly isolated human heart mitochondria (HHM) activated C1 only in the absence of C1-INH. However, mitoplasts derived from HHM (HHMP) activated C1 regardless of the presence of C1-INH, and induced a specific cleavage of C1q-bound C1s. The same pattern was observed in the case of smooth E. coli and a semi-rough E. coli strain. DNA, known to activate C1 only in the absence of C1-INH, does not induce C1s cleavage in the absence of C1r. Thus, nonimmune activators can be classified into two distinct categories. "Strong" activators, such as CL vesicles, HHMP, or the semi-rough E. coli strain J5 can activate C1 in the presence of C1-INH. By using C1qs2 as a probe, they exhibit a specific, C1r-independent cleavage of C1s. C1s-binding to C1q is a critical factor for the activation process in this group. In the case of "weak" activators, such as E. coli smooth strains, DNA, or HHM, no C1s-binding to activator-bound C1q was detected, and C1r-independent C1s cleavage and C1 activation in the presence of C1-INH were not observed. As in the case of immune complexes, C1r activation appears to play a key role in the C1 activation by "weak" activators.

Calcium