Lec 05- Innate Immunity (Part 2) Flashcards
What are the 3 pathways of initiation of complement activation?
- alternative pathway
- classical pathway
- lectin pathway
What are the 3 effector junctions of the complement system?
- C3a: Inflammation
- C3b: Opsonization and phagocytosis
- C5a: Inflammation
What is the complement system?
consists of several plasma proteins that work together to:
- opsonize microbes
- promote recruitment of phagocytes to infection site
- directly kill the microbes (sometimes)
What is the 2nd step in the complement pathway?
production of C3b»_space; formation of C3 convertase
What happens when C3b initiates the activation of C5?
formation of C5 convertase
What is the last step in the complement pathway?
formation of membrane attack complex
What does the membrane attack complex do?
creates holes in plasma membranes
What kind of cascades does the complement activation involve?
proteolytic cascades
What does the proteolytic cascade do?
alters a zymogen (inactive precursor enzyme) to become an active protease
What does an active protease do in complement system activation?
cleaves the next complement protein in the proteolytic cascade
What is the result of enzymatic cascades in the complement system?
tremendous amplification of the amount of proteolytic products that are generated
What other medically important proteolytic cascades does the complement system work in cooperation with?
- blood coagulation pathways
- kinin-kallikrein system
What does the kinin-kallikrein system do?
regulates vascular permeability
What does C3 convertase do?
cleaves the central protein (C3) of the complement system into C3a and C3b
Which is a chemoattractant, C3a or C3b?
C3a
Which fragment (C3a or C3b) becomes covalently attached to the microbial surface?
C3b
Which fragment (C3a or C3b) serves as an opsonin to promote phagocytosis of the microbes?
C3b
What happens when the C3a fragment is released?
stimulates inflammation by acting as a chemoattractant for neutrophils
What does C5 convertase do?
cleaves C5 forming C5a and C5b which remains attached to the microbial cell membranes
C5a is a very potent chemoattactant that also ________
induces changes in the permeability of blood vessels
What does C5b initiate?
formation of membrane attack complex (MAC)
What is MAC made of?
Complement proteins: C6 C7 C8 C9
What does MAC do?
causes lysis of the cells where the complement is activated
What is the serum concentration of C3?
1000-1200