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The ancient origin of the complement system.

Yong Zhu1, Saravanan Thangamani, Bow Ho

  • 1Department of Biological Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.

The EMBO Journal
|December 24, 2004
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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The horseshoe crab

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary immunology
  • Innate immunity

Background:

  • The complement system is a crucial part of innate immunity.
  • It was previously believed to originate exclusively in deuterostomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the evolutionary origin of the complement system.
  • To identify complement components in primitive protostomes.

Main Methods:

  • Isolation and characterization of complement component homologs from the horseshoe crab (Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda).
  • Comparative sequence analysis with vertebrate complement proteins.
  • Functional assays for microbial binding and complement-mediated phagocytosis.

Main Results:

  • Identification of a functional homolog of vertebrate complement 3 (CrC3) and C2/Bf in horseshoe crabs.

Related Experiment Videos

  • CrC3 exhibits homology to deuterostome C3 sequences.
  • Horseshoe crab hemocytes demonstrated complement-mediated phagocytosis of bacteria.

    • Conclusions:

    • The complement system's origins are ancient, predating deuterostomes and existing in early protostomes.
    • Horseshoe crabs possess a primitive yet complex opsonic complement defense system.
    • This suggests a Precambrian origin for key complement components and opsonic mechanisms in bilateral animals.