| 1. |
- Duncan, Renee C., et al.
(författare)
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Identification of a Catalytic Exosite for Complement Component C4 on the Serine Protease Domain of C1s
- 2012
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Ingår i: Journal of Immunology. - : The American Association of Immunologists. - 1550-6606 .- 0022-1767. ; 189:5, s. 2365-2373
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The classical pathway of complement is crucial to the immune system, but it also contributes to inflammatory diseases when dys-regulated. Binding of the C1 complex to ligands activates the pathway by inducing autoactivation of associated C1r, after which C1r activates C1s. C1s cleaves complement component C4 and then C2 to cause full activation of the system. The interaction between C1s and C4 involves active site and exosite-mediated events, but the molecular details are unknown. In this study, we identified four positively charged amino acids on the serine protease domain that appear to form a catalytic exosite that is required for efficient cleavage of C4. These residues are coincidentally involved in coordinating a sulfate ion in the crystal structure of the protease. Together with other evidence, this pointed to the involvement of sulfate ions in the interaction with the C4 substrate, and we showed that the protease interacts with a peptide from C4 containing three sulfotyrosine residues. We present a molecular model for the interaction between C1s and C4 that provides support for the above data and poses questions for future research into this aspect of complement activation. The Journal of Immunology, 2012, 189: 2365-2373.
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| 2. |
- Duncan, Renee C., et al.
(författare)
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Multiple domains of MASP-2, an initiating complement protease, are required for interaction with its substrate C4
- 2012
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Ingår i: Molecular Immunology. - : Elsevier BV. - 1872-9142 .- 0161-5890. ; 49:4, s. 593-600
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The complement system is fundamental to both innate and adaptive immunity and can be initiated via the classical, lectin or alternative pathways. Cleavage of C4 by MASP-2, the initiating protease of the lectin pathway, is a crucial event in the activation of this pathway, preceding the eventual formation of the C3 convertase (C4bC2a) complex on the pathogen surface. Interactions required for the cleavage of C4 by MASP-2 are likely to be facilitated by the initial binding of C4 to an exosite on the protease. We have shown that both proteolytically active and catalytically inactive CCP1-CCP2-serine protease (CCP1-CCP2-SP) forms bind C4 with similar affinity. Interestingly, proteins containing the CCP1-CCP2 domains or the SP domain alone bound C4 with much lower affinity than the CCP1-CCP2-SP protein, suggesting that the CCP domains cooperate positively with the active site to mediate efficient binding and cleavage of C4. In addition, mutation of residue K342 to alanine in the CCP1 domain abolished binding to both C4 and C4b in its CCP1-CCP2 form, suggesting a key electrostatic role for this amino acid. The presented data indicates that all of the domains are required in order to mediate high affinity interaction with C4. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Mihlan, Michael, et al.
(författare)
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Monomeric C-reactive protein modulates classic complement activation on necrotic cells
- 2011
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Ingår i: FASEB Journal. - : Wiley. - 1530-6860 .- 0892-6638. ; 25:12, s. 4198-4210
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The acute-phase protein C-reactive protein (CRP) recruits C1q to the surface of damaged cells and thereby initiates complement activation. However, CRP also recruits complement inhibitors, such as C4b-binding protein (C4bp) and factor H, which both block complement progression at the level of C3 and inhibits inflammation. To define how CRP modulates the classic complement pathway, we studied the interaction of CRP with the classic pathway inhibitor C4bp. Monomeric CRP (mCRP), but not pentameric CRP (pCRP), binds C4bp and enhances degradation of C4b and C3b. Both C1q, the initiator, and C4bp, the inhibitor of the classic pathway, compete for mCRP binding, and this competition adjusts the local balance of activation and inhibition. After attachment of pCRP to the surface of necrotic rat myocytes, generation of mCRP was demonstrated over a period of 18 h. Similarly, a biological role for mCRP, C1q, and C4bp in the disease setting of acute myocardial infarction was revealed. In this inflamed tissue, mCRP, pCRP, C4bp, C1q, and C4d were detected in acetone-fixed and in unfixed tissue. Protein levels were enhanced 6 h to 5 d after infarction. Thus, mCRP bound to damaged cardiomyocytes recruits C1q to activate and also C4bp to control the classic complement pathway.-Mihlan, M., Blom, A. M., Kupreishvili, K., Lauer, N., Stelzner, K., Bergstro " m, F., Niessen, H. W. M., Zipfel, P. F. Monomeric C-reactive protein modulates classic complement activation on necrotic cells. FASEB J. 25, 4198-4210 (2011). www.fasebj.org
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| 5. |
- Mika, Angela, et al.
(författare)
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Novel Scabies Mite Serpins Inhibit the Three Pathways of the Human Complement System
- 2012
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Ingår i: PLoS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 7:7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Scabies is a parasitic infestation of the skin by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei that causes significant morbidity worldwide, in particular within socially disadvantaged populations. In order to identify mechanisms that enable the scabies mite to evade human immune defenses, we have studied molecules associated with proteolytic systems in the mite, including two novel scabies mite serine protease inhibitors (SMSs) of the serpin superfamily. Immunohistochemical studies revealed that within mite-infected human skin SMSB4 (54 kDa) and SMSB3 (47 kDa) were both localized in the mite gut and feces. Recombinant purified SMSB3 and SMSB4 did not inhibit mite serine and cysteine proteases, but did inhibit mammalian serine proteases, such as chymotrypsin, albeit inefficiently. Detailed functional analysis revealed that both serpins interfered with all three pathways of the human complement system at different stages of their activation. SMSB4 inhibited mostly the initial and progressing steps of the cascades, while SMSB3 showed the strongest effects at the C9 level in the terminal pathway. Additive effects of both serpins were shown at the C9 level in the lectin pathway. Both SMSs were able to interfere with complement factors without protease function. A range of binding assays showed direct binding between SMSB4 and seven complement proteins (C1, properdin, MBL, C4, C3, C6 and C8), while significant binding of SMSB3 occurred exclusively to complement factors without protease function (C4, C3, C8). Direct binding was observed between SMSB4 and the complement proteases C1s and C1r. However no complex formation was observed between either mite serpin and the complement serine proteases C1r, C1s, MASP-1, MASP-2 and MASP-3. No catalytic inhibition by either serpin was observed for any of these enzymes. In summary, the SMSs were acting at several levels mediating overall inhibition of the complement system and thus we propose that they may protect scabies mites from complement-mediated gut damage.
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
- Mohlin, Frida, et al.
(författare)
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Analysis of genes coding for CD46, CD55 and C4b-binding protein in patients with idiopathic, recurrent, spontaneous pregnancy loss.
- 2013
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Ingår i: European Journal of Immunology. - : Wiley. - 1521-4141 .- 0014-2980. ; 43:6, s. 1617-1629
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Since a tightly regulated complement system is needed for a successful pregnancy, we hypothesized that alterations in complement inhibitors may be associated with idiopathic, recurrent miscarriage. We sequenced all exons coding for three complement inhibitors: C4b-binding protein (C4BP), CD46 and CD55 in 384 childless women with at least two miscarriages that could not be explained by known risk factors. Several alterations were found in C4BPA, of which the R120H, I126T, and the G423T mutations affected the expression level and/or the ability of recombinant C4BP to serve as cofactor for factor I. The only variant in C4BPB was located in the C-terminal part, and did not impair the polymerization of the molecule. Our results identify for the first time alterations in C4BP in women experiencing recurrent miscarriages. We also found four CD46 alterations in individual patients that were not found in healthy controls. One of the rare variants, P324L, showed decreased expression, whereas N213I resulted in deficient protein processing as well as an impaired cofactor activity in the degradation of both C4b and C3b. The identified alterations may result in in vivo consequences and contribute to the disorder but the degree of association must be evaluated in larger cohorts.
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| 8. |
- Mohlin, Frida, et al.
(författare)
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Purification and Functional Characterization of C4b-Binding Protein (C4BP).
- 2014
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Ingår i: Methods in Molecular Biology. - Totowa, NJ : Humana Press. - 1940-6029. ; 1100, s. 169-176
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- C4b-binding protein (C4BP) is a soluble, 570 kDa large glycoprotein, present in plasma at a concentration of approximately 200 mg/L. C4BP is the main inhibitor of the classical and lectin pathways of complement, where it controls C4b-mediated reactions. Here, we describe a method for purification of C4BP from human plasma, which is based on barium chloride precipitation, anion exchange chromatography, and gel filtration. We also describe a functional assay, in which C4BP's cofactor activity to factor I, in the degradation of C4b, can be assessed.
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| 9. |
- Smailhodzic, Dzenita, et al.
(författare)
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Zinc supplementation inhibits complement activation in age-related macular degeneration.
- 2014
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Ingår i: PLoS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 9:11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in the Western world. AMD is a multifactorial disorder but complement-mediated inflammation at the level of the retina plays a pivotal role. Oral zinc supplementation can reduce the progression of AMD but the precise mechanism of this protective effect is as yet unclear. We investigated whether zinc supplementation directly affects the degree of complement activation in AMD and whether there is a relation between serum complement catabolism during zinc administration and the complement factor H (CFH) gene or the Age-Related Maculopathy susceptibility 2 (ARMS2) genotype. In this open-label clinical study, 72 randomly selected AMD patients in various stages of AMD received a daily supplement of 50 mg zinc sulphate and 1 mg cupric sulphate for three months. Serum complement catabolism-defined as the C3d/C3 ratio-was measured at baseline, throughout the three months of supplementation and after discontinuation of zinc administration. Additionally, downstream inhibition of complement catabolism was evaluated by measurement of anaphylatoxin C5a. Furthermore, we investigated the effect of zinc on complement activation in vitro. AMD patients with high levels of complement catabolism at baseline exhibited a steeper decline in serum complement activation (p<0.001) during the three month zinc supplementation period compared to patients with low complement levels. There was no significant association of change in complement catabolism and CFH and ARMS2 genotype. In vitro zinc sulphate directly inhibits complement catabolism in hemolytic assays and membrane attack complex (MAC) deposition on RPE cells. This study provides evidence that daily administration of 50 mg zinc sulphate can inhibit complement catabolism in AMD patients with increased complement activation. This could explain part of the mechanism by which zinc slows AMD progression.
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| 10. |
- Thoren, Lina A., et al.
(författare)
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UPF2 Is a Critical Regulator of Liver Development, Function and Regeneration
- 2010
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Ingår i: PLoS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 5:7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) is a post-transcriptional RNA surveillance process that facilitates the recognition and destruction of mRNAs bearing premature terminations codons (PTCs). Such PTC-containing (PTC+) mRNAs may arise from different processes, including erroneous processing and expression of pseudogenes, but also from more regulated events such as alternative splicing coupled NMD (AS-NMD). Thus, the NMD pathway serves both as a silencer of genomic noise and a regulator of gene expression. Given the early embryonic lethality in NMD deficient mice, uncovering the full regulatory potential of the NMD pathway in mammals will require the functional assessment of NMD in different tissues. Methodology/Principal Findings: Here we use mouse genetics to address the role of UPF2, a core NMD component, in the development, function and regeneration of the liver. We find that loss of NMD during fetal liver development is incompatible with postnatal life due to failure of terminal differentiation. Moreover, deletion of Upf2 in the adult liver results in hepatosteatosis and disruption of liver homeostasis. Finally, NMD was found to be absolutely required for liver regeneration. Conclusion/Significance: Collectively, our data demonstrate the critical role of the NMD pathway in liver development, function and regeneration and highlights the importance of NMD for mammalian biology.
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