Cutting edge: complement-activating complex of ficolin and mannose-binding lectin-associated serine protease

J Immunol. 2000 Mar 1;164(5):2281-4. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.164.5.2281.

Abstract

Both ficolins and mannose-binding lectin (MBL) are lectins characterized by the presence of collagen-like and carbohydrate-binding domains in a subunit, although their carbohydrate-binding moieties are quite different. A fibrinogen-like domain is in ficolins, and a carbohydrate recognition domain is in MBL. On binding to pathogens, human MBL activates the complement system via the lectin pathway in association with two types of MBL-associated serine proteases (MASP), MASP-1 and MASP-2 and its truncated form, small MBL-associated protein (sMAP, also called MAp19). We report here that ficolin/P35, a human serum ficolin, was found to copurify with MASPs and sMAP. MASPs that were complexed with ficolin/P35 exhibited proteolytic activities against complement components C4, C2, and C3. The ficolin/P35-MASPs-sMAP complex that was bound to Salmonella typhimurium activated complement. These findings indicate that ficolin/P35 is a second collagenous lectin capable of activating the lectin pathway and thus plays a role in innate immunity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biopolymers / blood
  • Biopolymers / immunology
  • Biopolymers / isolation & purification
  • Carrier Proteins / blood
  • Carrier Proteins / immunology*
  • Carrier Proteins / isolation & purification
  • Collectins
  • Complement Activation / immunology*
  • Complement C1q / immunology
  • Complement C1q / metabolism
  • Complement C3 / immunology
  • Complement C3 / metabolism
  • Enzyme Activation / immunology
  • Ficolins
  • Humans
  • Lectins / immunology*
  • Mannose-Binding Protein-Associated Serine Proteases
  • Precipitin Tests
  • Serine Endopeptidases / blood
  • Serine Endopeptidases / immunology*
  • Serine Endopeptidases / isolation & purification

Substances

  • Biopolymers
  • Carrier Proteins
  • Collectins
  • Complement C3
  • Lectins
  • Complement C1q
  • Mannose-Binding Protein-Associated Serine Proteases
  • Serine Endopeptidases