The release of C5a in complement-activated serum does not require C6

The influence of terminal complement components on the generation and release of the complement C5a fragment was investigated by comparing the levels of C5a in complement-activated serum with the levels of C5a produced in serum depleted of complement C6. In order to investigate the release of C5a, a modified C5a assay was developed that utilizes an anti-C5b monoclonal antibody to remove C5, C5b, and C5b-C5a complexes from samples prior to C5a assay. The modified assay was developed because the standard methodology, which includes an acid-precipitation step designed to dissociate C5a and C5b, cannot distinguish free C5a from the C5a that is bound to C5b. Therefore, the standard methodology is not capable of monitoring the influence of terminal components on C5a/C5b dissociation. Levels of C5a were measured in complement-activated whole human serum, in serum depleted of C6, and in serum containing inhibitory levels of anti-C6 Fab using both the modified C5a assay and the standard methodology. Sera were complement-activated with either zymosan to activate the alternative complement pathway or with antibody-coated sheep erythrocytes to activate the classical pathway. The levels of free C5a in C6-depleted sera after activation were equivalent to the C5a levels in activated whole serum, indicating that C6 is not required for the release of C5a from C5b. In addition, the quantity of C5a detected in zymosan-activated sera using the standard acid-precipitation methodology was greater than C5a levels when assayed using the modified immunoadsorption technique, confirming that acid-treatment enhances the C5a dissociation and promotes C5a recovery. Since the other terminal components, C7, C8, and C9, bind to C5b only after C5b only after C6 is bound, these results indicate that none of the terminal components are required for the release of C5a. Although the terminal components could influence the rate of C5a release, the quantity of C5a released in serum was entirely independent of terminal components.     

Localization of the covalent C3b-binding site on C4b within the complement classical pathway C5 convertase, C4b2a3b

C5 convertase of the classical complement pathway is a trimolecular protein complex consisting of C4b, C2a, and C3b. In the complex there is an ester bond between C3b and C4b. We analyzed the C5 convertase formed on erythrocytes and localized the covalent binding site of C3b to a small region on C4b. The covalently linked C4b.C3b complex was purified from a detergent extract of the erythrocytes and digested with lysyl endopeptidase. An Mr 17,000 fragment containing the ester linkage between C4b and C3b was purified and its amino-terminal sequence was examined. Two amino acids were obtained at each cycle and identified with those in the sequences of C3 and C4. The sequence derived from C3 corresponded to the thioester region. The sequence derived from C4 started at Ala-1186. Alkali treatment of the fragment yielded an Mr 7,000 peptide derived from C4, which thus appeared to span the region of C4 from Ala-1186 to Lys-1259. Therefore, the covalent C3b-binding site on C4b is located within a 74-residue region of the primary structure. This finding supports the notion that after cleavage of C3 by the C4b2a complex, the covalent binding of metastable C3b to C4b is a specific reaction to form a trimolecular complex with a defined quaternary structure.     

The role of the N-terminal domain of the complement fragment receptor C5L2 in ligand binding

C5L2 is a new cellular receptor found to interact with the human anaphylatoxins complement factor C5a and its C-terminal cleavage product C5a des Arg. The classical human C5a receptor (C5aR) preferentially binds C5a, with a 10-100-fold lower affinity for C5a des Arg. In contrast, C5L2 binds both ligands with nearly equal affinity. C5aR presents acidic and tyrosine residues in its N terminus that interact with the core of C5a while a hydrophobic pocket formed by the transmembrane helices interacts with residues in the C terminus of C5a. Here, we have investigated the molecular basis for the increased affinity of C5L2 for C5a des Arg. Rat and mouse C5L2 preferentially bound C5a des Arg, whereas rodent C5aR showed much higher affinity for intact C5a. Effective peptidic and non-peptidic ligands for the transmembrane hydrophobic pocket of C5aR were poor inhibitors of ligand binding to C5L2. An antibody raised against the N terminus of human C5L2 did not affect the binding of C5a to C5L2 but did inhibit C5a des Arg binding. A chimeric C5L2, containing the N terminus of C5aR, had little effect on the affinity for C5a des Arg. Mutation of acidic and tyrosine residues in the N terminus of human C5L2 revealed that 3 residues were critical for C5a des Arg binding but had little involvement in C5a binding. C5L2 thus appears to bind C5a and C5a des Arg by different mechanisms, and, unlike C5aR, C5L2 uses critical residues in its N-terminal domain for binding only to C5a des Arg.     

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.     

Functional insights from the structure of the multifunctional C345C domain of C5 of complement

The complement protein C5 initiates assembly of the membrane attack complex. This remarkable process results in lysis of target cells and is fundamental to mammalian defense against infection. The 150-amino acid residue domain at the C terminus of C5 (C5-C345C) is pivotal to C5 function. It interacts with enzymes that convert C5 to C5b, the first step in the assembly of the membrane attack complex; it also binds to the membrane attack complex components C6 and C7 with high affinity. Here a recombinant version of this C5-C345C domain is shown to adopt the oligosaccharide/oligonucleotide binding fold, with two helices packed against a five-stranded beta-barrel. The structure is compared with those from the netrin-like module family that have a similar fold. Residues critical to the interaction with C5-convertase cluster on a mobile, hydrophobic inter-strand loop that protrudes from the open face of the beta-barrel. The opposite, helix-dominated face of C5-C345C carries a pair of exposed hydrophobic side chains adjacent to a striking negatively charged patch, consistent with affinity for positively charged factor I modules in C6 and C7. Modeling of homologous domains from complement proteins C3 and C4, which do not participate in membrane attack complex assembly, suggests that this provisionally identified C6/C7-interacting face is indeed specific to C5.     

Primary structure and functional characterization of rat C5a: an anaphylatoxin with unusually high potency.

The anaphylatoxin C5a is a pro-inflammatory factor generated from C5 during complement activation. C5a derived from rat C5 exhibits significantly greater potency compared to C5a from other species. Rat C5a was 25-fold more potent than human C5a for eliciting spasmogenic contraction of guinea pig ileum. Proteolytic removal of the C-terminal arginine of C5a (C5adesArg) reduced spasmogenic potency of rat C5a by only 4-fold compared to a 3,000-fold reduction for human C5adesArg. In addition, rat C5adesArg was 50-fold more potent than human C5adesArg in a guinea pig vascular permeability (in vivo) assay and as a chemotactic factor for human neutrophils. C5a and C5adesArg were purified from zymosan-activated rat serum. Rat C5a, like human C5a, is glycosylated but contains 77 amino acid residues instead of the 74 residues of human C5a. Comparison of the primary structures of rat and human C5a indicated differences at 30 positions including an insert of 3 residues (LLH) in the rat molecule between residue positions 3 and 4 in human C5a. Insertion of residues LLH between Gln-3 and Lys-4 in a recombinant human C5a molecule using site-directed mutagenesis failed to enhance potency. Synthetic C-terminal analogues of rat C5a proved to be measurably more potent than the corresponding human C5a analogues (Ember JA et al., 1993, Protein Sci 2(Suppl 1):159 [Abstr]). We conclude that multiple sequence differences in the C-terminal effector portion and/or elsewhere in rat C5a, but not the LLH insert, account for the significant enhancement in potency of rat C5a over C5a from other species.     

Activation of C1r by proteolytic cleavage.

C1r was unable to cleave and activate proenzyme C1s unless first incubated at 37 degrees C in the absence of calcium before the addition of C1s. The acquisition of ability to activate C1s was associated with, and paralleled by, cleavage of each of the two noncovalently bonded 95,000 dalton chains of the molecule into disulfide linked subunits of 60,000 and 35,000 daltons, respectively. Thus, C1r is converted from an inactive form into an enzyme, C1r, able to cleave and activate C1s by proteolytic cleavage in marked analogy to the activation of several other complement enzymes. Trypsin was also found to cleave C1r but at a different site, and its action did not lead to C1r activation. C1r activation was inhibited by calcium, polyanethol sulfonate, C1 inactivator, and DFP but not by a battery of other protease inhibitors. C1 inactivator inhibited C1r by forming a complex with C1r via sites located on the light chain of the molecule. In other studies, cleavage of C1r was not accelerated by the addition of C1r ot C1s. C1r and C1r were found to have the same m.w., sedimentation coefficient, and diffusion coefficients. They differed, however, in charge with C1r migrating as a Beta-globulin and C1r as a gammaglobulin on electrophoresis in agarose. The amino acid composition of C1r and of each of the two polypeptide chains of Clr was determined. Both chains contained carbohydrate. Proteolytic cleavage of the C1r molecule was found to occur on addition of aggregated IgG to a mixture of C1q, C1r, and C1s in the presence of calcium. Neither C1q, C1s nor aggregated IgG alone, not C1r nor C1s induced C1r cleavage. Liquoid, an inhibitor of C1 activation, inhibited C1r cleavage. Thus, proteolytic cleavage of C1r appears to be a biologically meaningful event occurring during the activation of C1.     

Variations in the enzymatic properties of human complement subcomponent C1s by treatment with human plasma kallikrein

We have investigated the effect of plasma kallikrein digestion upon hydrolytic activities of human C1s. Incubation of C1s (85 kDa) with plasma kallikrein led to progressive cleavages on the heavy chain to yield C1s-K1 (70 kDa) then C1s-K2 (53 kDa). Although these cleavages caused little change in the C2 hydrolytic and esterase activities of C1s, a marked loss in the C4 hydrolytic activity was observed. C1s-K1 and C1s-K2 were purified by DE-52 chromatography and it was found that the proteolysis of C1s into C1s-K1 was accompanied with a decrease in the C4 hydrolytic activity. Although the turnover numbers for the hydrolysis of C4 by C1s-K1 and C1s-K2 were almost the same as that of intact C1s, the Kms for C4 of C1s-K1 and C1s-K2 were found to be increased to 10 times that of intact C1s. This result suggests that the apparent decrease in the C4 hydrolytic activity upon plasma kallikrein digestion of C1s is not due to disruption in the active site but is due to decrease in the affinity between C4 and the C1s derivatives. In support of this assumption, C1s-K1 was found to be devoid of the ability to bind C4b-Sepharose. C1s is capable of forming a dimer through the C1s-binding domain in the N-terminal side of the heavy chain. Although C1s-K1 is still capable of forming a dimer, C1s-K2 fails to form a dimer, suggesting that the N-terminal C1s-binding site is released during cleavage of C1s-K1 into C1s-K2.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Chimeric receptors of the human C3a receptor and C5a receptor (CD88)

Chimeras were generated between the human anaphylatoxin C3a and C5a receptors (C3aR and C5aR, respectively) to define the structural requirements for ligand binding and discrimination. Chimeric receptors were generated by systematically exchanging between the two receptors four receptor modules (the N terminus, transmembrane regions 1 to 4, the second extracellular loop, and transmembrane region 5 to the C terminus). The mutants were transiently expressed in HEK-293 cells (with or without Galpha-16) and analyzed for cell surface expression, binding of C3a and C5a, and functional responsiveness (calcium mobilization) toward C3a, C5a, and a C3a as well as a C5a analogue peptide. The data indicate that in both anaphylatoxin receptors the transmembrane regions and the second extracellular loop act as a functional unit that is disrupted by any reciprocal exchange. N-terminal substitution confirmed the two-binding site model for the human C5aR, in which the receptor N terminus is required for high affinity binding of the native ligand but not a C5a analogue peptide. In contrast, the human C3a receptor did not require the original N terminus for high affinity binding of and activation by C3a, a result that was confirmed by N-terminal deletion mutants. This indicates a completely different binding mode of the anaphylatoxins to their corresponding receptors. The C5a analogue peptide, but not C5a, was an agonist of the C3aR. Replacement of the C3aR N terminus by the C5aR sequence, however, lead to the generation of a true hybrid C3a/C5a receptor, which bound and functionally responded to both ligands, C3a and C5a.     

Binding of the lipocalin C8gamma to human complement protein C8alpha is mediated by loops located at the entrance to the C8gamma ligand binding site

Human C8 is one of five complement components (C5b, C6, C7, C8 and C9) that interact to form the membrane attack complex (MAC). C8 is composed of a disulfide-linked C8alpha-gamma heterodimer and a noncovalently associated C8beta chain. C8alpha and C8beta are homologous to C6, C7 and C9, whereas C8gamma is the only lipocalin in the complement system. Lipocalins have a core beta-barrel structure forming a calyx with a binding site for a small molecule. In C8gamma, the calyx opening is surrounded by four loops that connect beta-strands. Loop 1 is the largest and contains Cys40 that links to Cys164 in C8alpha. To determine if these loops mediate binding of C8alpha prior to interchain disulfide bond formation in C8alpha-gamma, the loops were substituted separately and in combination for the corresponding loops in siderocalin (NGAL, Lcn2), a lipocalin that is structurally similar to C8gamma. The siderocalin-C8gamma chimeric constructs were expressed in E. coli, purified, and assayed for their ability to bind C8alpha. Results indicate at least three of the four loops surrounding the entrance to the C8gamma calyx are involved in binding C8alpha. Binding near the calyx entrance suggests C8alpha may restrict and possibly regulate access to the C8gamma ligand binding site.     

Structure and characterization of a high affinity C5a monoclonal antibody that blocks binding to C5aR1 and C5aR2 receptors

C5a is a potent anaphylatoxin that modulates inflammation through the C5aR1 and C5aR2 receptors. The molecular interactions between C5a–C5aR1 receptor are well defined, whereas C5a–C5aR2 receptor interactions are poorly understood. Here, we describe the generation of a human antibody, MEDI7814, that neutralizes C5a and C5adesArg binding to the C5aR1 and C5aR2 receptors, without affecting complement–mediated bacterial cell killing. Unlike other anti–C5a mAbs described, this antibody has been shown to inhibit the effects of C5a by blocking C5a binding to both C5aR1 and C5aR2 receptors. The crystal structure of the antibody in complex with human C5a reveals a discontinuous epitope of 22 amino acids. This is the first time the epitope for an antibody that blocks C5aR1 and C5aR2 receptors has been described, and this work provides a basis for molecular studies aimed at further understanding the C5a–C5aR2 receptor interaction. MEDI7814 has therapeutic potential for the treatment of acute inflammatory conditions in which both C5a receptors may mediate inflammation, such as sepsis or renal ischemia–reperfusion injury.     

Covalent binding of C3b to C4b within the classical complement pathway C5 convertase. Determination of amino acid residues involved in ester linkage formation.

C5 convertase of the classical complement pathway is a protein complex consisting of C4b, C2a, and C3b. Within this complex C3b binds to C4b via an ester linkage. We now present evidence that the covalent C3b-binding site on human C4b is Ser at position 1217 of C4. We also show that formation of the covalently linked C4b.C3b complex occurs in the mouse complement system and that the C3b-binding site on mouse C4b is Ser at position 1213 which is homologous to Ser-1217 of human C4. Therefore, covalent binding of C3b to a single specific site on C4b within the classical pathway C5 convertase is likely a common phenomenon in the mammalian complement system. Specific noncovalent association of metastable C3b with C4b would occur first, leading to reaction of the thioester with a specific hydroxy group. This is supported by two lines of experimental evidence, one which shows that a mutant C4 that does not make a covalent linkage with C3b is still capable of forming C5 convertase and a second in which the C4b.C3b complex has been demonstrated by cross-linking erythrocytes bearing this C5 convertase.     

The binding site of human C4b-binding protein on complement C4 is localized in the alpha'-chain

C4b-binding protein (C4BP) is a multimeric plasma protein, which regulates the classical pathway of the C system. C4BP functions as a cofactor to factor I in the degradation of C4b and accelerates the decay rate of the C4b2a complex. We now demonstrate that C4b contains a binding site for C4BP, which is localized on the alpha'-chain of C4b. SDS-PAGE of C C4 and C4b both under reducing and nonreducing conditions was followed by a radiolabeled C4BP ligand blotting procedure. It was demonstrated that the C4BP binding site on C4b is localized on the alpha'-chain. In addition, we found C4BP binding to the alpha-chain of C4, which suggests that the binding site for C4BP becomes available after reduction of the C4 molecule. Direct binding of C4BP to the alpha- and alpha'-chains of C4 and C4b was demonstrated in a radio-labeled C4BP binding assay with the reduced and alkylated isolated chains. mAb against the alpha'-chain of C4b were prepared, characterized, and evaluated for their ability to block the binding of 125I-C4BP to C4b. Two mAb specific for the alpha'-chain of C4b were found that completely abolished C4BP binding to intact C4b. Other mAb recognizing both the alpha- and alpha'-chain of C4 and C4b demonstrated only minor inhibitory effect on the binding of C4BP to C4b. In conclusion, we have localized the C4BP binding site on the alpha'-chain of C4b and have demonstrated that this binding can be inhibited by mAb specific for the alpha'-chain.     

The conversion of human complement component C5 into fragment C5b by the alternative-pathway C5 convertase.

The cleavage of human complement component C5 to fragment C5b by the alternative pathway C5 convertase was studied. The alternative-pathway C5 convertase on zymosan can be represented by the empirical formula zymosan--C3b2BbP. Both properdin-stabilized C3 and C5 convertase activities decay with a half life of 34 min correlating with the loss of the Bb subunit. The C5 convertase functions in a stepwise fashion: first, C5 binds to C3b and this is followed by cleavage of C5 to C5b. The capacity to bind C3b is a stable feature of component C5, as C5b also has this binding capacity. Component C5, unlike component C3, does not form covalent bonds with zymosan after activation, and C5 is not inhibited by amines. Therefore C5, although similar in structure to C3, does not appear to contain the internal thioester group reported for C3 and C4.     

Functional studies of the MACPF domain of human complement protein C8alpha reveal sites for simultaneous binding of C8beta, C8gamma, and C9

Human C8 is one of five components of the membrane attack complex of complement (MAC). It contains three subunits (C8alpha, C8beta, C8gamma) arranged as a disulfide-linked C8alpha-gamma dimer that is noncovalently associated with C8beta. C8alpha, C8beta, and complement components C6, C7, and C9 form the MAC family of proteins. All contain N- and C-terminal modules and an intervening 40-kDa segment referred to as the membrane attack complex/perforin (MACPF) domain. During MAC formation, C8alpha binds and mediates the self-polymerization of C9 to form a pore-like structure on target cells. The C9 binding site was previously shown to reside within a 52-kDa segment composed of the C8alpha N-terminal modules and MACPF domain (alphaMACPF). In the present study, we examined the role of the MACPF domain in binding C9. Recombinant alphaMACPF and a disulfide-linked alphaMACPF-gamma dimer were successfully produced in Escherichia coli and purified. alphaMACPF was shown to simultaneously bind C8beta, C8gamma, and C9 and form a noncovalent alphaMACPF.C8beta.C8gamma.C9 complex. Similar results were obtained for the recombinant alphaMACPF-gamma dimer. This dimer bound C8beta and C9 to form a hemolytically active (alphaMACPF-gamma).C8beta.C9 complex. These results indicate that the principal binding site for C9 lies within the MACPF domain of C8alpha. They also suggest this site and the binding sites for C8beta and C8gamma are distinct. alphaMACPF is the first human MACPF domain to be produced recombinantly and in a functional form. Such a result suggests that this segment of C8alpha and corresponding segments of the other MAC family members are independently folded domains.     

An indel within the C8 alpha subunit of human complement C8 mediates intracellular binding of C8 gamma and formation of C8 alpha-gamma

Human C8 is one of five complement components (C5b, C6, C7, C8, and C9) that interact to form the cytolytic membrane attack complex, or MAC. It is an oligomeric protein composed of three subunits (C8alpha, C8beta, C8gamma) that are products of different genes. In C8 from serum, these are arranged as a disulfide-linked C8alpha-gamma dimer that is noncovalently associated with C8beta. In this study, the site on C8alpha that mediates intracellular binding of C8gamma to form C8alpha-gamma was identified. From a comparative analysis of indels (insertions/deletions) in C8alpha and its structural homologues C8beta, C6, C7, and C9, it was determined that C8alpha contains a unique insertion (residues 159-175), which includes Cys(164) that forms the disulfide bond to C8gamma. Incorporation of this sequence into C8beta and coexpression of the resulting construct (iC8beta) with C8gamma produced iC8beta-gamma, an atypical disulfide-linked dimer. In related experiments, C8gamma was shown to bind noncovalently to mutant forms of C8alpha and iC8beta in which Cys(164)-->Gly(164) substitutions were made. In addition, C8gamma bound specifically to an immobilized synthetic peptide containing the mutant indel sequence. Together, these results indicate (a) intracellular binding of C8gamma to C8alpha is mediated principally by residues contained within the C8alpha indel, (b) binding is not strictly dependent on Cys(164), and (c) C8gamma must contain a complementary binding site for the C8alpha indel.     

Ligand specificity of the anaphylatoxin C5L2 receptor and its regulation on myeloid and epithelial cell lines

During complement activation the pro-inflammatory anaphylatoxins C3a and C5a are generated, which interact with the C3a receptor and C5a receptor (CD88), respectively. C5a and its degradation product C5a-des-Arg(74) also bind to the C5a receptor-like 2 (C5L2). C3a and C3a-des-Arg(77), also called acylation-stimulating protein, augment triglyceride synthesis and glucose uptake in adipocytes and skin fibroblasts. Based on data obtained using transfected HEK293 and RBL cells, C5L2 is additionally proposed as a functional receptor for C3a and C3a-des-Arg(77). Here we use (125)I-ligand binding assays and flow cytometry with fluorescently labeled ligands to demonstrate that neither C3a nor C3a-des-Arg(77) binds to C5L2. C5L2 expression and its regulation are investigated on various cell lines by a novel C5L2-restricted binding assay and quantitative real time PCR. Dibutyryl cAMP and interferon-gamma induce up-regulation of this receptor on myeloblastic cell lines (U937 and HL-60), whereas tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) has no effect. In contrast, epithelial HeLa cells are found to constitutively express C5L2 but not the C5a receptor. In HeLa cells, interferon-gamma and TNF-alpha drastically reduce C5L2 expression. No C5a-dependent Ca(2+) signaling is observed even in these cells endogenously expressing C5L2. Taken together, C5L2 is not a receptor for C3a or C3a-des-Arg(77). Thus, this receptor is unlikely to be directly involved in lipid metabolism. Instead, the identification of stimuli modifying C5L2 expression indicates that C5L2 is a highly regulated scavenger receptor for C5a and C5a-des-Arg(74).     

Complement C3a enhances CXCL12 (SDF-1)-mediated chemotaxis of bone marrow hematopoietic cells independently of C3a receptor

Complement C3a promotes CXCL12-induced migration and engraftment of human and murine hemopoietic progenitor cells, suggesting a cross-influence between anaphylatoxin and chemokine axes. Here we have explored the underlying mechanism(s) of complement anaphylatoxin and chemokine cooperation. In addition to C3a, C3a-desArg and C4a but not C5a, are potent enhancers of CXCL12-induced chemotaxis of human and murine bone marrow (BM) stem/progenitor cells and B lineage cells. C3a enhancement of chemotaxis is chemokine specific because it is also observed for chemotaxis to CCL19 but not to CXCL13. The potentiating effect of C3a on CXCL12 is independent of the classical C3a receptor (C3aR). First, human BM CD34(+) and B lineage cells do not express C3aR by flow cytometry. Second, the competitive C3aR inhibitor SB290157 does not affect C3a-mediated enhancement of CXCL12-induced chemotaxis. Third, enhancement of chemotaxis of hemopoietic cells is also mediated by C3a-desArg, which does not bind to C3aR. Finally, C3a enhances CXCL12-induced chemotaxis of BM cells from C3aR knockout mice similar to BM cells from wild-type mice. Subsequent studies revealed that C3a increased the binding affinity of CXCL12 to human CXCR4(+)/C3aR(-), REH pro-B cells, which is compatible with a direct interaction between C3a and CXCL12. BM stromal cells were able to generate C3a, C3a-desArg, C4a, as well as CXCL12, suggesting that this pathway could function in vivo. Taken together, we demonstrate a C3a-CXCL12 interaction independent of the C3aR, which may provide a mechanism to modulate the function of CXCL12 in the BM microenvironment.     

Formation of high affinity C5 convertase of the classical pathway of complement

C3/C5 convertase is a serine protease that cleaves C3 and C5. In the present study we examined the C5 cleaving properties of classical pathway C3/C5 convertase either bound to the surface of sheep erythrocytes or in its free soluble form. Kinetic parameters revealed that the soluble form of the enzyme (C4b,C2a) cleaved C5 at a catalytic rate similar to that of the surface-bound form (EAC1,C4b,C2a). However, both forms of the enzyme exhibited a poor affinity for the substrate, C5, as indicated by a high Km (6-9 microM). Increasing the density of C4b on the cell surface from 8,000 to 172,000 C4b/cell did not influence the Km. Very high affinity C5 convertases were generated only when the low affinity C3/C5 convertases (EAC1,C4b,C2a) were allowed to deposit C3b by cleaving native C3. These C3b-containing C3/C5 convertases exhibited Km (0.0051 microM) well below the normal concentration of C5 in blood (0.37 microM). The data suggest that C3/C5 convertase assembled with either monomeric C4b or C4b-C4b complexes are inefficient in capturing C5 but cleave C3 opsonizing the cell surface with C3b for phagocytosis. Deposition of C3b converts the enzymes to high affinity C5 convertases, which cleave C5 in blood at catalytic rates approaching Vmax, thereby switching from C3 to C5 cleavage. Comparison of the kinetic parameters with those of the alternative pathway convertase indicates that the 6-9-fold greater catalytic rate of the classical pathway C5 convertase may compensate for the fewer numbers of C5 convertase sites generated upon activation of this pathway.     

The C terminus of the anaphylatoxin C3a generated upon complement activation represents a neoantigenic determinant with diagnostic potential

Activation of the C component C3 results in generation of the anaphylatoxin C3a. The C3a polypeptide chain consists of 77 amino acids. The active site of this potent mediator, which also has immunoregulatory function resides in its C terminus. This report demonstrates that the C terminus of C3a (C3a-desArg) exposed by proteolytic cleavage from C3 represents a neoantigenic determinant. Two mAb specific for this epitope were obtained after immunization with the synthetic octapeptide (OP) Arg-Ala-Ser-His-Leu-Gly-Leu-Ala [C3a(69-76)] coupled to the carrier keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH). These anti-C3a(69-76) antibodies (H453 and H454) reacted in an ELISA system with C3a and KLH-OP but not with C3 or with KLH alone. Free OP efficiently blocked binding of the antibodies to C3a, whereas binding of another anti-C3a mAb (H13) remained unaffected. In immunoblotting analysis, the anti-C3a(69-76) mAb reacted with purified C3a but failed to react with the denatured, noncleaved C3. A novel quantitative C3a-ELISA was established with the anti-C3a(69-76) mAb. It had a sensitivity in the nanogram range (1 to 5 ng/ml). The C3a determination was not impaired by the presence of high concentrations of C3. Therefore, C3 removal was not required in contrast to the previously described C3a assays. This C3a ELISA might facilitate clinical C3a quantitation, e.g., in samples from patients with adult respiratory distress syndrome. In these patients, C3a determination in the early phase of the disease is of diagnostic relevance and has prognostic value.