13 - Innate Immunity Components Flashcards
Ways that commensals protect against infection 1) 2) 3) 4)
1) Production of toxic metabolites
2) Production of bacteriocins, antibiotics
3) Competition for binding sites on GIT epithelium
4) Stimulation of antibacterial compound production by epithelial cells through PAMP recognition
MBL (mannan binding lectin) ligand
Mannan on bacterial cell wall
Proportion of blood proteins that are complement
~10%
Effects of complement activation 1) 2) 3) 4)
1) Inflammation
2) Opsonisation
3) Chemotaxis
4) Lysis of microbes
What are complement proteins?
Inactive proteins (often pro-enzymes, zymogens) in serum activated by proteolysis to carry out a range of immune functions
Number of Cā proteins
Over 30
What produce Cā proteins?1)2)3)4)
1) Hepatocytes
2) Macrophages/monocytes
3) Some epithelial cells
4) Neutrophils (less commonly)
Globin plasma
Protein component of plasma
How are Cā activated?
Enzymatic cascade
Significance of āaā and ābā fragments of a Cā
āaā is smaller fragment, ābā is larger fragment.Exception is C2, where āaā is larger
Where does activation of Cā often occur?
Surface of pathogen
How do host cells minimise self damage by Cā?
Self cells have regulatory factors on their surfaces for reducing Cā activity.
Pathogens lack these
Activity of soluble/fluid phase Cā
Often transiently active, inactive.
Which Cā pathway is an effector of humoral immunity?
Classical pathway
Alternative pathway origins
Evolutionarily older than the lectin or classical pathways
Antibody-independent pathways
Lectin, alternative
Steps in Cā cascade1)2)3)
1) Initiation
2) Early
3) Late
Initiation 1)2)3)
1) 3 pathways for activation
2) Different pathways use different, but homologous components
3) Result in formation of different, but homologous C3 convertases
Early stages1)2)
1) Cleavage of C3
2) Formation of C5 convertase
How can C3 be cleaved?1)2)
1) C3 convertase (C4b/C2a, C3b/Bb)
2) Spontaneous hydrolysis of C3 (tickover)
Types of C3 convertase1)2)
1) Classical/lectin - C4b/C2a
2) Alternative - C3b/Bb
Late steps (effector phase)1)2)
1) After C3 cleavage, C5 convertases are formed
2) C5 activation results in pore formation, inflammation, cell lysis
Common steps in complement activation1)2)3)
1) C3 convertase cleaves C3 (C4b/C2a or C3b/Bb)
2) C3 is cleaved, C3a is an inflammatory mediator, C3b binds to the surface of microbe (acts as an opsonin)
3) C3 convertases form the C5 convertases (C4b/C2a/C3b or C3b/Bb/C3b)
How does C3b bind to microbial surface?
Cleavage exposes reactive thioester groups on C3b
Reactive thioester groups bind amino and hydroxyl groups on microbial surface