Complement system

Is a part of Innate immunity. The complement system helps or complements the ability of antibodies & phagocytic cells to clear the pathogens from an organism.

Functions of the Complement

Opsonization Chemotaxis Lysis Clumping

Compliment proteins
Discovered in 1895 by Bordet,& he named them as Alexins. Later Ehrish named alexins as complement proteins.

 Complement proteins are -globulins These are synthesized in the liver. These are found in blood serum as pro-proteins (In active proteins). There are 20 compliment proteins (only 16 were important). These are called compliment control proteins (CCP).

Activation of compliment proteins

Compliment proteins will be activated by
Ag Ab complex @ ( Classical pathway )
aggregated Ab complex or PZ complex @( Alternate pathway )
MBL MASP Complex @ ( Lectin pathway )

PZ Properidine and Zymozen complex MBL Mannan binding lectin. MASP MBL associated serine protease

Upon activation the compliment protein will desosiate

Smaller fragment ( Bilogical activity) compliment protein

Larger fragment ( Cascade pathway) This is brought by the action of proteases.

Bilogical activity includes

Vascular permeability. Smooth mussel contraction. Neutralization of viral proteins. Degranulation of mast cells. Chemotactic activity of neutrophils.

 The complementary proteins participate in the pathways in a proper series. The participation of complementary proteins is independent to each pathway.

Classical pathway
The first compliment protein that is involved here is C1 The C1q recognize the Ag Ab complex.

Ag Ab
complex
Ca2+
C1q

C1r

Mg2+

C2

C1s

C2a

C4b C2b

C4 C4a

C3 converting activity C5 converting activity

C3 C3a C4b C2b C3b C5 C5a C4b C2b C3b C5b C6 C4b C2b C3b C5b C6 C7 C4b C2b C3b C5b C6 C7 C8 C4b C2b C3b C5b C6 C7 C8 C9 C4b C2b C3b C5b C6 C7 C8 C9 Membrane attacking complex

Lysis

Alternative path way

The 1st complementary protein involved is C3. Properine is most important serum protein involved in MAC formation. This will be activated by recognizing the aggregated antibodies or PZ complex.

Agrigated Ab or
PZ complex

Mg2+
C3

C3a
C3b

B factor
C3b B

D factor C3b Bb C5 C5b

Ba
C5 converting activity

C5a

C6
C5b C6 C7 C5b C6 C7 C8 C5b C6 C7 C8 C9 C5b C6 C7 C8 C9 Membrane attacking complex

Lysis

Lectin pathway
The 1st complementary protein involved is C4, which recognize MBL MASP complex. Lectin plays a major role in activation of 1st complement protein.

MBL MASP
C4

C4a
C4b

C2
C4b C2a
C4b C2a C3b

C4b C2a

C3 C5 C5a

C2b C3a

C5b
C6
C5b C6

C7
C5b C6 C7

C8
C5b C6 C7 C8

C9 C4b C2b C3b C5b C6 C7 C8 C9 Membrane attacking complex

Lysis

 MAC bind to the cell membrane of the pathogen. Destroy entire Lipopolysaccharide content of the of the cell wall. Results expose of peptidoglycon to lysozymes. Cleave the glycosidic linkage between NAG and NAM. Results LYSIS

Thanking You

Presented by
D.VINAY KUMAR