Human C7 polymorphism: classification and association analysis with C6.
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An 8-year-old girl with meningococcal meningitis lacked serum complement activity. The seventh component of complement (C7) could not be detected in her serum by either functional or immunochemical analysis. The levels of the other components were within the normal range. Her serum complement activity was restored by the addition of purified C7. Her fresh serum showed a total absence of bactericidal activity against Neisseria meningitidis, group Y, but her serum bactericidal activity was restored by the addition of purified C7. The restoration of her serum bactericidal activity was completely inhibited in the presence of Mg2+ EGTA. These findings suggest that restoration of the bactericidal activity of her serum against N. meningitidis might be mediated by the specific antibody against N. meningitidis and the reconstituted complement system in her serum. Heterozygous deficiency of C7 was found in 10 of her family members. Genetic studies showed that the mode of inheritance might be an autosomal codominant trait. No genetic linkage between deficiency of C7 and the HLA system was found.
Structural, functional and immunological similarities between the ninth component of complement (C9) and the lymphocyte pore-forming protein (PFP, perforin) have recently been described (8-10). PFP is shown here to be immunologically related to all other components of the membrane attack complex (MAC) of human complement, namely, C5b-6, C7, C8, and C9. Polyclonal antibodies raised against purified human C5b-6, C7, C8, or C9 react with other components of the MAC and with mouse lymphocyte PFP. The antigenic epitopes shared by human complement proteins and mouse lymphocyte PFP are limited to cysteine-rich domains. Only complement proteins that have been reduced and alkylated elicit the production of crossreactive antibodies when used as immunogens. The nonreduced forms of complement components or lymphocyte PFP neither react with these antibodies nor give rise to crossreactive antibodies. The homologous domains of complement proteins and lymphocyte PFP may play related functions in their attachment to lipid membranes and assembly of membrane lesions.
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The present study was conducted to gain insight into the process of assembly of the C5b-7 complex on the phospholipid bilayer. The C5b-6 complex, C7, and 2 different forms of the C5b-7 complex (the C5b-7 complex either bound to artificial phospholipid bilayers or in fluid phase) were digested with trypsin, and the resulting products were analyzed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The alpha'-chains of C5b and C6 in the C5b-6 complex and C7 were susceptible to trypsin. The formation of the C5b-7 complex from the C5b-6 complex and C7 was accompanied by alteration in susceptibility to trypsin to C7: the C7 subunit of the fluid phase complex as well as of the complex bound to phospholipid vesicles is not susceptible to trypsin. On the other hand, the alpha'-chains of C5b and C6 in the C5b-7 complex bound to phospholipid vesicles as well as in fluid phase remained accessible and susceptible to trypsin, and cleaved as in the C5b-6 complex. Upon ultracentrifugation in a sucrose density gradient, the proteolyzed C5b-7 complex in fluid phase dissociated into subunits. However, none of the subunits in the proteolyzed C5b-7 complex bound to phospholipid vesicles dissociated from vesicles upon sucrose density gradient ultracentrifugation. Thus, the molecule of the C5b-7 complex became stable and resistant to proteolytic dissociation upon binding to the phospholipid bilayer. It is proposed that each subunit of the C5b-7 complex participates in the stable interaction of the complex with the phospholipid bilayer. In addition, the possible significance of the alteration in susceptibility to trypsin of C7 associated with the formation of the C5b-7 complex is discussed.
A case of meningococcal purpura fulminans is reported in a 22-year-old woman who also suffered from a congenital deficiency in the seventh component of the complement system. This was her third episode of recurrent meningitis. In the course of her treatment in intensive care, the septic shock was cured, but she developed Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. Histological investigations revealed abnormalities in her T-cell population, with a very low T-helper (CD4) to T-suppressor (CD8) ratio. Laboratory data showed that she did not have any antibodies to HIV.
The cDNA sequence encoding the human complement-associated protein, SP-40,40, is reported. The two chains of SP-40,40 are coded in a single open reading frame on the same mRNA molecule, indicating the existence of a biosynthetic precursor protein which matures post-synthetically by the proteolysis of at least one peptide bond. The precursor is preceded by a signal sequence for vectorial export and contains six N-linked glycosylation sites distributed equally between the two chains of the structure. The sequence of the SP-40,40 precursor bears a 77% identity to a rat sulphated glycoprotein-2 (SGP-2) which is the major secreted product of Sertoli cells. The presence of SP-40,40 within human seminal plasma at levels comparable to those in serum was demonstrated, indicating that SP-40,40 and SGP-2 are serum and seminal forms of the same protein. A sequence of 23 amino acids within the beta-chain of SP-40,40 exhibited significant homology to corresponding segments located within complement components C7, C8 and C9. The short cysteine-containing motif represented the only evidence of a possible vestigial relationship between SP-40,40 and other complement components. The precise role of SP-40,40 is not known in either blood or semen but the present findings document an intriguing link between the immune and the reproductive systems.
Procedures for the isolation of the human complement proteins C6 and C7 have been described. These procedures allow isolation of the two proteins without any loss of hemolytic activity. Apparent activity gains of 160% and 140% were observed for C6 and C7, respectively, when the activity of the isolated proteins was compared with their activity in serum. The recovery of C6 was 3.5 to 11% and that of C7 was 7 to 13% of the amount present in serum. C6 has a m.w.of 128,000 and an electrophoretic mobility at pH 8.6 of -2.6 times 10(-5) cm2 s-1 v-1. C7 has a m.w. of 121,000 and an identical electrophoretic mobility. With 3 times 10(7) assay cells, 63% hemolysis was achieved with 1 ng of C6 and 3.8 ng C7. On polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate and after reduction with mercaptoethanol, C6 and C7 behaved as single polypeptide chain proteins.
Six components (C1, C5, C6, C7, C8 and C9) of bovine complement and one inactivator (C3 in) could be separated from bovine serum. Bovine C1 was separated by precipitation at low molarity (0.03 M of relative salt concentration) other components by DEAE-cellulose chromatography using 0.005 M sodium phosphate buffer, pH 7.5, as a base for solvents having the relative salt concentration adjusted by addition of NaCl from 0.03 to 0.3 M. The separated bovine complement components could be tested using intermediates formed from sheep erythrocytes, rabbit hemolysin, guinea pig C1 and remaining human complement components. C2, C3 and C4 of bovine origin remained undetected either because of incompatibility with the intermediates used or interference of inhibitors or inactivators.
Three Japanese families with members carrying C7 silent allele(s) (C7*Q0) are presented. C6 types in the family members were also examined, and it was found that C7*Q0 was transmitted from a parent to offsprings as a haplotype, C7*Q0-C6*B. In another study of C6 types in sera from 3 volunteer blood donors with homozygous C7 deficiencies, the C6 phenotypes were found to be C6 B (homozygote). It seems remarkable that C7*Q0 can be associated with C6*B.
A method is described for detecting the active complement components C6 and C7 after polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) of whole serum in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS). The method involves the removal of SDS by washing with non-ionic detergent followed by the application of an erythrocyte/agarose gel to detect haemolytic activity. Two forms of human C6 with apparent molecular weights of approximately 121,000 daltons and 114,000 daltons were observed. Major activity resided in the 121,000 dalton species. The 2 forms of human C6 were not related to known genetic polymorphisms for this component. Analysis of sera from different animal species showed that not all possessed the 2 forms of C6 and that there were interspecies differences in C6 molecular weights. These are most marked in the case of human and murine C6; the major form of murine C6 had a molecular weight approximately 20,000 daltons less than the major human form. One form of human C7 with an apparent molecular weight of 104,000 daltons was seen. The molecular weights of C7 from the various animal sera tested did not differ significantly from this. Studies with reducing agents and metabolic inhibitors showed that both C6 and C7 required intact disulphide bonds and sulphydral groups for functional activity.
By means of isoelectric focusing and immunoblotting C7 types were clearly demonstrated from bloodstains which had been stored at 37 degrees C for up to three weeks, at room temperature for up to six weeks and at 4 degrees C for over ten weeks. The C7 typing is practically useful in medicolegal individualization of unknown bloodstains.
Three structural forms of C7 have been distinguished by isoelectric focusing. They are the products of three co-dominantly expressed alleles at an autosomal locus. The C7 locus is close to that for C6, but is not close to the HLA complex.
The polymorphisms of the B subunit of coagulation factor XIII (F13B), plasminogen (PLG), complement C6, C7, factor B (BF) and factor I (IF) were studied among 21 unrelated Japanese patients with primary varicose veins (PVV) by isoelectric focusing followed by immunoblotting. The allele frequencies for F13B*2 and IF*A in PVV patients were significantly higher (F13B*2, p = 0.0047; IF*A, p = 0.0006) than those in healthy controls (n = 60). Significant associations of F13B 2 allotype [p = 0.0220, relative risk (RR) = 13.9] and IF A allotype (p = 0.0006, RR = 10.0) with PVV were observed; however, no significant association of PLG, C6, C7 or BF allotype with the disease was found.
A 14-year-old boy had persistent haematuria along with complete C7 deficiency. No significant changes in glomeruli and tubules were found in a renal biopsy specimen by light microscopy and immunofluorescence gave negative results for immune deposits. Electron microscopic examination demonstrated an attenuation of the glomerular capillary basement membrane without lamination and a diagnosis of thin basement membrane disease was made. It would be difficult to conclude that patients with C7 deficiency were predisposed to develop glomerulonephritis caused by immunologic aberrations. A family study failed to provide evidence of an association of C7 deficiency and thin basement membrane disease.
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