Inhibition of the covalent binding reaction of complement component C4 by penicillamine, an anti-rheumatic agent.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Sim E
PROVIDER: S-EPMC1138525 | biostudies-other | 1989 Apr
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other
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Project description:The complement protein C3, when activated by limited proteolysis, forms a short-lived reactive intermediate fragment, 'nascent' C3b, which is known to bind covalently to certain surfaces. The characteristics of the covalent binding reaction have been studied by using Sepharose-trypsin as a combined proteolytic activator and binding surface for C3. Binding of C3 to Sepharose-trypsin is saturable, with a maximum of 25-26 molecules of C3b bound per molecule of trypsin. A minimum life-time of about 60 microseconds for the reactive intermediate has been calculated from binding of C3 at saturation. Initial binding efficiencies of over 30% can be obtained at physiological pH and ionic strength. The efficiency of C3 binding to Sepharose-trypsin decreases as pH increases and also shows a slight decline at high ionic strength. The covalent binding of C3 to Sepharose-trypsin can be inhibited by a range of oxygen and nitrogen nucleophiles. Activation of C3 in the presence of radioactive forms of four such nucleophiles, phenylhydrazine, methylamine, glycerol and glucosamine results in apparent covalent incorporation of the nucleophile into the C3d fragment of C3. The quantity of radioactive nucleophile bound can be predicted from the observed potency of the nucleophile as an inhibitor of the binding of C3 to Sepharose-trypsin. The radioactive nucleophiles may be considered as 'active-site' labels for C3.
| S-EPMC1162583 | biostudies-other
Project description:The binding of human complement component C4 to antibody-antigen aggregates and the nature of the interaction have been investigated. When antibody-antigen aggregates with optimal C1 bound are incubated with C4, the C4 is rapidly cleaved to C4b, but only a small fraction (1-2%) is bound to the aggregates, the rest remaining in the fluid phase as inactive C4b. It has been found that C4b and th antibody form a very stable complex, due probably to the formation of a covalent bond. On reduction of the C4b-immunoglobulin G (IgG) complex, the beta and gamma chains, but not the alpha' chain, of C4b are released together with all the light chain, but only about half of the heavy chain of IgG. The reduced aggregates contain two main higher-molecular-weight complexes, one shown by the use of radioactive components to contain both IgG and C4b and probably therefore the alpha' chain of C4b and the heavy chain of IgG, and the other only C4b and probably an alpha' chain dimer. The aggregates with bound C1 and C4b show maximal C3 convertase activity, in the presence of excess C2, when the alpha'-H chain component is in relatively highest amounts. When C4 is incubated with C1s in the absence of aggregates, up to 15% of a C4b dimer is formed, which on reduction gives an alpha' chain complex, probably a dimer. The apparent covalent interaction between C4b and IgG and between C4b and other C4b molecules cannot be inhibited by iodoacetamide and hence cannot be catalysed by transglutaminase (factor XIII). The reaction is, however, inhibited by cadaverine and putrescine and 14C-labelled putrescine is incorporated into C4, again by a strong, probably covalent, bond. It is suggested that a reactive group, possibly an acyl group, is generated when C4 is activated by C1 and that this reactive group can react with IgG, with another C4 molecule, or with water.
| S-EPMC1161918 | biostudies-other
Project description:Human complement component C4 is coded by tandem genes located in the HLA class III region. The products of the two genes, C4A and C4B, are different in their activity. This difference is due to a degree of 'substrate' specificity in the covalent binding reactions of the two isotypes. Mouse also has a duplicated locus, but only one gene produces active C4, while the other codes for the closely related sex-limited protein (Slp). In order to gain some insight into the evolutionary history of the duplicated C4 locus, we have purified C4 from a number of other mammalian species, and tested their binding specificities. Like man, chimpanzee and rhesus monkey appear to produce two C4 types with reactivities similar to C4A and C4B. Rat, guinea pig, whale, rabbit, dog and pig each expresses C4 with a single binding specificity, which is C4B-like. Sheep and cattle express two C4 types, one C4B-like, the other C4A-like, in their binding properties. These results suggest that more than one locus may be present in these species. If this is so, then the duplication of the C4 locus is either very ancient, having occurred before the divergence of the modern mammals, or there have been three separate duplication events in the lines leading to the primates, rodents and ungulates.
| S-EPMC1136911 | biostudies-other
Project description:Genetic factors have been estimated to account for about 25% of the variation in an adult's life span. The complement component C4 with the isotypes C4A and C4B is an effector protein of the immune system, and differences in the overall C4 copy number or gene size (long C4L; short C4S) may influence the strength of the immune response and disease susceptibilities. Previously, an association between C4B copy number and life span was reported for Hungarians and Icelanders, where the C4B*Q0 genotype, which is defined by C4B gene deficiency, showed a decrease in frequency with age. Additionally, one of the studies indicated that a low C4B copy number might be a genetic trait that is manifested only in the presence of the environmental risk factor "smoking". These observations prompted us to investigate the role of the C4 alleles in our large German longevity sample (? 700 cases; 94-110 years and ? 900 younger controls). No significant differences in the number of C4A, C4B and C4S were detected. Besides, the C4B*Q0 carrier state did not decrease with age, irrespective of smoking as an interacting variable. However, for C4L*Q0 a significantly different carrier frequency was observed in the cases compared with controls (cases: 5.08%; controls: 9.12%; p = 0.003). In a replication sample of 714 German cases (91-108 years) and 890 controls this result was not replicated (p = 0.14) although a similar trend of decreased C4L*Q0 carrier frequency in cases was visible (cases: 7.84%; controls: 10.00%).
| S-EPMC3899116 | biostudies-literature
Project description:An essential aspect of innate immunity is recognition of molecular patterns on the surface of pathogens or altered self through the lectin and classical pathways, two of the three well-established activation pathways of the complement system. This recognition causes activation of the MASP-2 or the C1s serine proteases followed by cleavage of the protein C4. Here we present the crystal structures of the 203-kDa human C4 and the 245-kDa C4·MASP-2 substrate·enzyme complex. When C4 binds to MASP-2, substantial conformational changes in C4 are induced, and its scissile bond region becomes ordered and inserted into the protease catalytic site in a manner canonical to serine proteases. In MASP-2, an exosite located within the CCP domains recognizes the C4 C345C domain 60 Å from the scissile bond. Mutations in C4 and MASP-2 residues at the C345C-CCP interface inhibit the intermolecular interaction and C4 cleavage. The possible assembly of the huge in vivo enzyme-substrate complex consisting of glycan-bound mannan-binding lectin, MASP-2, and C4 is discussed. Our own and prior functional data suggest that C1s in the classical pathway of complement activated by, e.g., antigen-antibody complexes, also recognizes the C4 C345C domain through a CCP exosite. Our results provide a unified structural framework for understanding the early and essential step of C4 cleavage in the elimination of pathogens and altered self through two major pathways of complement activation.
| S-EPMC3458355 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The covalent binding of [3H]glycerol to C3 by the transfer of the acyl group of the internal thioester of C3 to the hydroxy group of glycerol can be activated either proteolytically by trypsin or by various chaotropes and denaturants. The activation of binding by trypsin or KBr showed similar dependence on the concentration of glycerol, indicating a similar activation mechanism. It is therefore concluded that the conformational change of the protein is the critical step in the binding reaction, and that the conversion of C3 into C3b under physiological conditions is only a means to induce the conformational change. Guanidinium chloride induces the binding of glycerol to C3 at concentrations of about 1 M. On increasing the concentration of guanidinium chloride the extent of binding declines and is accompanied by an increase in the autolytic cleavage reaction [Sim & Sim (1981) Biochem. J. 193, 129-141]. The autolytic cleavage reaction is therefore not independently activated with respect to the binding reaction. Its occurrence, however, is structurally restricted under physiological or limited denaturing conditions and is permissible only when C3 is brought to a higher denaturation state.
| S-EPMC1154370 | biostudies-other
Project description:Thiol compounds have been investigated as inhibitors of the covalent binding reaction of human complement protein C4 using Sepharose-C1s as a combined activating and binding surface. o- and p-substituted aminothiophenols are equally effective inhibitors, whereas the m-substituted compound is a less potent inhibitor. The anti-hypertensive drug captopril is also shown to inhibit the covalent binding reaction. A comparison of the effects of these compounds on the covalent binding reaction of isolated C4A and C4B has been made. Results suggest that a Pro-to-Leu substitution in C4B is likely to account for the differences in inhibitory potency of C4B compared with C4A observed with the aromatic inhibitors.
| S-EPMC1132247 | biostudies-other
Project description:Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness and a major risk factor for suicide, with approximately 50% of schizophrenia patients attempting and 10% dying from suicide. Although genetic components play a significant role in schizophrenia risk, the underlying genetic risk factors for suicide are poorly understood. The complement component C4 gene, an immune gene involved in the innate immune system and located in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region, has been identified to be strongly associated with schizophrenia risk. In addition, recent findings have also suggested that the MHC region has been associated with suicide risk across disorders, making C4 a potential candidate of interest for studying suicidality in schizophrenia patients. Despite growing interest in investigating the association between the C4 gene and schizophrenia, to our knowledge, no work has been done to examine the potential of C4 variants as suicide risk factors in patients with schizophrenia. In this study, we investigated the association between different C4 copy number variants and predicted C4 brain expression with suicidal outcomes (suicide attempts/suicidal ideation). We directly genotyped 434 schizophrenia patients to determine their C4A and C4B copy number variants. We found the C4AS copy number to be marginally and negatively associated with suicide risk, potentially being protective against suicide attempts (OR = 0.49; p = 0.05) and suicidal ideation (OR = 0.65; p = 0.07). Furthermore, sex-stratified analyses revealed that there are no significant differences between males and females. Our preliminary findings encourage additional studies of C4 and potential immune dysregulation in suicide.
| S-EPMC10858919 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The plasma complement protein C4 is encoded at two highly polymorphic loci, A and B, within the class-III region of the major histocompatibility complex. At least 34 different polymorphic variants of human C4 have been identified, including non-expressed or 'null' alleles. The main method of identification of C4 polymorphic allotypes is separation on the basis of charge by agarose-gel electrophoresis of plasma. On staining by immunofixation with anti-C4 antibodies, each C4 type gives three major bands, but, since individuals can have up to five allotypes, the overlapping banding pattern is difficult to interpret. We show that digestion of plasma samples with carboxypeptidase B, which removes C-terminal basic amino acids, before electrophoresis, produces a single, sharp, distinct band for each allotype and allows identification of the biochemical basis of the multiple banding pattern previously observed in C4 phenotype determination.
| S-EPMC1147352 | biostudies-other
Project description:The fourth component of complement, C4, was isolated from human serum in good yield, and in confirmation of previous reports was shown to be formed from three peptide chains, alpha, beta and gamma, with apparent mol.wts. 90 000, 80 000 and 30 000 respectively. Preparative methods are described for the isolation of the three peptide chains and their amino acid analyses reported. Component C4 contains 7.0% carbohydrate, alpha-chain 8.6% and the beta-chain 5.6%. The N-terminal amino acid sequences are given for 12 residues of the alpha-chain, eight of the beta-chain and 19 of the gamma-chain.
| S-EPMC1164925 | biostudies-other