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PubMed1975

Initiation of C3 cleavage in the alternative complement pathway.

The capacity of C3 and 125I-C3 to interact with B and D to generate a C3 convertase was recognized by identification of C3b and Bb on immunoelectrophoresis and 125I-C3b on disc gel electrophoresis. Since the C3 was devoid of C3b as assessed by immunoelectrophoresis, alkaline disc gel electrophoresis, and isoelectric focusing, the initial C3 cleavage was not by the C3b-dependent C3 convertase. In addition, on isoelectric focusing C3 hemolytic activity and the capacity to permit B cleavage by D were isoelectric at pH 6.4, WHEREAS THE CAPACITY OF C3b to permit cleavage by D was isoelectric at pH 5.65. Comparison of the dose-response effects of C3b and C3 for D revealed linear and sigmoidal relationships, respectively, consistent with formation of an initial C3 convertase independent of C3b followed by generation of the C3b-dependent convertase in the reaction initiated with native C3. Further, preincubation of C3 with C3bINA did not diminish its subsequent capacity to permit B inactivation by D as compared to the introduction of C3bINA during the assay, thus supporting the view that native C3, B, and D can form a convertase capable of generating initial C3b.

Chromatography, DEAE-Cellulose↗
PubMed1977

Human factor D of the alternative complement pathway: purification and characterization.

D was purified to homogeneity from outdated human plasma by successive chromatography on Bio Rex 70, Sephadex G-200, Bio Rex 70, and Sephadex G-75. Column fractions were monitored for D activity by a hemolytic diffusion plate assay. The overall yield was approximately 4% by activity. A m.w. of 22,900 daltons was established by sedimentation equilibrium. Amino acid analyses have been obtained and Isoleucine has been determined as the NH2-terminus. Incubation of D with purified B and CoVF in the presence of Mg++ resulted in cleavage of B, as judged by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoelectrophoresis. D hydrolyzed certain synthetic amino acid esters of arginine, lysine, and tyrosine. Benzoyl-L-arginine methyl esters (BAME) was the most sensitive substrate for D among those tested. The substrate profile of D was dinstinct when compared to that of CIs, CIr, plasmin, urokinase, and trypsin. Both the enzymatic and hemolytic activity of D were irreversibly inhibited by treatment with 10 mM DFP as well as by reduction and alkylation.

Blood Proteins↗
PubMed1992

Inhibition of the alternative pathway of complement by glomerular chondroitin sulphate proteoglycan.

Cultured rat glomerular epithelial cells (GEC) synthesize and secrete a complement inhibitory chondroitin sulphate B proteoglycan (termed GCRF). As proteoglycans and their component glycosaminoglycans may affect several different steps of complement activation, the functional properties of GCRF were investigated in this study. GCRF inhibited preformed alternative pathway convertases (C3bBbP), but did not substantially accelerate their decay. In contrast to other polyanions, GCRF did not affect the activity of human or rat factor H, nor did it inhibit the terminal complement proteins. GCRF inhibited the effect of decay-accelerating factor (DAF) on C3bBbP when the two were incubated together and DAF was in excess, but it did not affect the decay of DAF of classical pathway convertases. However, when DAF was first incorporated into the erythrocyte membrane, the effect of GCRF on C3bBbP was additive to that of DAF. Thus, GCRF inhibits the activity of C3bBbP and blocks the action of DAF, but not that of factor H, perhaps by binding to factor B in the alternative pathway convertase.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Comparative study of in vitro inhibition of activation of the classical and alternative pathways of human complement by the magnesium and sodium salts of the anti-inflammatory peptide N-acetyl-aspartyl-glutamic acid (NAAGA).

The inhibitory activity of the sodium salt of the anti-inflammatory peptide N-acetyl-aspartyl-glutamic acid (NAAGA) on activation of the classical and alternative pathways of human complement was compared with that of the clinically used magnesium salt of NAAGA (NAAGA-Mg). Sodium salt of NAAGA (NAAGA-Na) inhibited both pathways of activation in a dose-dependent manner at concentration ranging from 1 to 10 mM by acting on formation and/or function of the C3 convertases as shown by the inhibitory capacity of the peptide on the release of the C3 cleavage fragment C3b and C3a. NAAGA-Na was as effective as NAAGA-Mg in inhibiting classical pathway activation at concentration above 10 mM. NAAGA-Na was more effective than NAAGA-Mg in inhibiting the alternative pathway since the sodium salt did not interfere with Mg-dependent formation of the alternative pathway C3 convertase.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Assembly of the cytolytic alternative pathway of complement from 11 isolated plasma proteins.

The known cytolytic function of the alternative pathway in serum was quantitatively reproduced by combining 11 isolated plasma proteins at their respective serum concentrations. These proteins are: C3, Factor B, Factor D, C3b inactivator, beta1H, native properdin, C5, C6, C7, C8, and C9. In absence of activators of the alternative pathway, this mixture was stable at 37 degrees C as evidenced by lack of consumption of Factor B, C3, and C5. Upon addition of either rabbit erythrocytes or neuraminidase-treated sheep erythrocytes, cell lysis ensued and the extent of lysis was dependent on dose of the component mixture. The dose-response curves obtained with the isolated component mixture and with C4-depleted serum were virtually indistinguishable. Nonactivator erythrocytes (untreated sheep erythrocytes) were not lysed by the component mixture. Deletion of properdin resulted only in a twofold diminution of the hemolytic activity of the component mixture. No immunoglobulin requirement was apparent. These results indicate that the cytolytic systems studied are internally sufficient and capable of coupling the initiation and amplification sequence with the cytolytic membrane attack sequence.

Cell-Free System↗
PubMed1994

Activation of the alternative pathway of human complement by apoptotic human umbilical vein endothelial cells.

Complement activation generally does not occur on homologous cells. We observed C3 deposition on cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) when those which had died of apoptosis were treated with human serum. The C3 deposition on apoptotic HUVEC required Mg2+ but not Ca2+. In addition, the incubation of apoptotic HUVEC with purified C3, B, and D in the presence of Mg2+ resulted in C3 deposition. These results indicated that the C3 deposition on apoptotic HUVEC is mediated by the activation of the alternative complement pathway. C3 contains an intrachain thioester bond in the alpha chain (110 kDa) and upon activation to C3b, binds with membrane molecules by forming an ester or amide bond. Western blotting of reduced C3b-membrane molecule complexes, isolated from serum-treated apoptotic HUVEC by immunoprecipitation with anti-C3, revealed the covalent binding of C3b to several membrane molecules. Most of the C3b-membrane molecule complexes were cleaved by hydroxylamine, suggesting covalent binding via an ester bond. The molecular mass of the major alpha chain fragment released by hydroxylamine treatment was not 105 kDa but 68 kDa, which corresponds to the alpha 1 fragment of iC3b. These results indicate that most of the C3b on HUVEC was cleaved at its alpha' chain to yield iC3b, which consists of three disulfide-linked polypeptide chains and is a ligand of the complement receptor type 3 (CR3) of phagocytes. These results suggest that apoptotic HUVEC can activate the alternative pathway of the homologous complement and that the complement is related to the clearance of apoptotic cells by phagocytes.

Apoptosis↗
PubMed1981

Importance of the integrity of the inter-heavy-chain disulphide bond of rabbit IgG in the activation of the alternative pathway of human complement by the F(ab')2 region of rabbit IgG antibody in immune aggregates.

Immune aggregates formed from either rabbit IgG antibody or F(ab')2 antibody, and antigen, caused exactly the same extent of incubated with human serum under conditions when incubated with human serum under conditions allowing only alternative pathway activation. These observations confirm that the F(ab')2 region of the antibody molecule can cause alternative pathway activation and that this activation is not affected by the presence of the Fc region of the molecule when only alternative pathway activation is permitted. Under conditions allowing activation of both the classical and alternative pathways, increased alternative pathway activation was obtained with IgG antibody aggregates compared to that obtained with F(ab')2 antibody aggregates. On reduction and alkylation of principally he inter-heavy-chain disulphide bond in the IgG antibody, prior to aggregate formation, it was found that no activation of the alternative pathway by IgG aggregates took place under conditions allowing only alternative pathway activation. Treatment of the IgG antibody with reducing agent alone, or alkylating reagent alone, followed by dialysis and aggregate formation, yielded aggregates which caused alternative pathway activation values close to those obtained for untreated IgG aggregates. These results indicate that the integrity of the inter-heavy-chain disulphide bond of rabbit IgG antibody in immune aggregates is necessary to allow the F(ab')2 region of the IgG molecule to activate the alternative pathway of human complement.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Characterization of the initial C3 convertase of the alternative pathway of human complement.

C3(H2O),Bb, the initial C3 convertase of the alternative complement pathway, was demonstrated to be a metal-containing protein complex by sucrose density gradient ultracentrifugation. Demonstration of this labile enzyme became possible by increasing its half-life with nickel instead of magnesium ions used for enzyme formation. The enzyme was generated from C3, the internal thioester bond of which was hydrolyzed (C3(H2O)), and from 125I-Factor B and Factor D. The sedimentation coefficient of the enzyme complex was 10.7S. By using 63Ni for enzyme formation, the metal ion was detected in the enzyme complex after ultracentrifugation in the presence of 10 mM EDTA. The stoichiometry of the constituents in the C3(H2O),Bb(Ni) complex was 1:1:1. To verify that C3 is incorporated into the enzyme complex in the form of C3(H2O), the enzyme complex was adsorbed to anti-Factor B-Sepharose and subjected to decay-dissociation. Examination of the subsequently eluted protein by SDS gel electrophoresis under reducing conditions demonstrated the presence of an intact C3 alpha-chain. This work provides further evidence that a C3 convertase can be generated from noncleaved C3 that is modified at the thioester site. With the use of a fluorometric assay, the activity (kcat/Km) and the half-life of the initial C3 convertase were determined and compared to those of C3b,Bb.

Chemical Phenomena↗
PubMed1999

Myelinated dorsal root ganglion cultures activate both the alternative and classical pathways of complement.

We used rat myelinated dorsal root ganglion (MDRG) cultures to study antibody and complement-mediated mechanisms of peripheral demyelinating diseases. Heat inactivated serum from a patient (LT) with peripheral neuropathy and a monoclonal IgM reactive with myelin-associated glycoprotein (anti-MAG) and sulfated glucuronosyl glycolipids (anti-SGGL) was used as an antibody source. Incubation of whole human serum (WHS) or WHS and anti-SGGL with MDRGs resulted in reduction of classical and alternative pathway hemolytic activities and the development of abnormal myelin sheaths. Incubation of MDRG cultures with C2-deficient serum showed activation of the alternative complement pathway. Classical pathway hemolytic activity was reduced when Factor B-depleted serum was incubated with MDRG cultures. The rat MDRG culture system provides a good model system of a peripheral nerve and has therefore been used by several investigators to study antibody and complement-mediated demyelination associated with peripheral neuropathies. However, our studies indicate a high degree of complement activation and membrane disruption of cultures incubated with WHS.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Deficient activity of the alternative pathway of complement in beta thalassemia major.

Patients with thalassemia major suffer frequent and serious infections, especially after splenectomy. To explore the basis for this susceptibility, we examined activity of the complement system in sera from 24 patients. All sera had normal or increased activity of the classic complement pathway. However, six of the 24 (three with and three without splenectomy) had abnormal alternative pathway function, and mean alternative pathway activity was significantly decreased in both splenectomized and nonsplenectomized patients. Mean concentrations of C3, factor B, properdin, and immunoglobulins were normal. Defective alternative pathway function, especially in conjunction with asplenia, could contribute to the propensity to infection that exists in thalassemia.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Neutrophil chemotactic activity of peptidoglycan. A comparison between Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis.

The ability of peptidoglycan from Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus to generate in human serum chemoattractant for peripheral blood neutrophils was studied. It was shown that PG from the two bacteria was able to induce chemotactic activity in normal human serum. Sonication of PG was required to generate this activity. Very little or no activity was generated in heat-treated or C5-deficient human serum by PG, indicating that PG treatment of serum resulted in generation of chemoattractants by activation of complement. Kinetics studies employing C2-deficient or MgEGTA-chelated serum revealed that S. epidermidis induced chemotactic activity by activating the alternative complement pathway. The alternative complement activation induced by S. epidermidis occurred rapidly and was completed after 15 min, whereas S. aureus activated the alternative pathway much more slowly, with activation reaching a maximum at 60 min. The rapid activation of the alternative complement pathway by S. epidermidis PG may partly explain why this bacterium does not normally cause infections in healthy individuals.

Antigens, Bacterial↗
PubMed1987

Regulation of the alternative pathway of complement by pH.

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is an acquired hemolytic anemia. The abnormal PNH erythrocytes are highly susceptible to complement-mediated lysis in vitro, especially at pH 6.4. Lysis has been shown to be due to alternative pathway activation. The purpose of this study was to determine why lysis of PNH erythrocytes is increased at acidic pH. The results presented demonstrate that at pH 6.4: binding of C5 and Factor B to C3b deposited on human erythrocytes is markedly enhanced; generation of the two C3 convertases, C3(H2O), Bb and C3b,Bb is increased; and control of C3b on human erythrocytes by CR1 and Factor I is diminished. In addition, it was found that rabbit erythrocytes, which activate the human alternative pathway, are also lysed much better at pH 6.4 than at pH 7.4. These results indicate that the optimal pH for the initiation and amplification of the alternative complement pathway, and probably also for the activation of the membrane attack complex, is 6.4.

Complement Activation↗