Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Comprehensive Analysis of Procoagulant Platelets Exhibiting Features of Necrosis, Apoptosis and Platelet Activation
04:37

Comprehensive Analysis of Procoagulant Platelets Exhibiting Features of Necrosis, Apoptosis and Platelet Activation

Published on: May 23, 2025

Mannose-binding lectin and its associated proteases (MASPs) mediate coagulation and its deficiency is a risk factor

Kazue Takahashi1, Wei-Chuan Chang, Minoru Takahashi

  • 1Developmental Immunology Program, Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA. ktakahashi1@partners.org

Immunobiology
|April 20, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) deficiency impairs host defense, increasing infection susceptibility. This study reveals MBL

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Hematology

Background:

  • The innate immune system, including mannose-binding lectin (MBL), is crucial for host defense against infection.
  • MBL deficiency is linked to increased susceptibility to infections via impaired opsonophagocytosis and complement activation.
  • The role of MBL in hemostasis and its connection to coagulation factors remain incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of MBL and MBL-associated serine proteases (MASPs) in coagulation and hemostasis.
  • To examine the consequences of MBL deficiency in a mouse model of Staphylococcus aureus infection, focusing on hemostasis and organ injury.

Main Methods:

  • Assessed coagulation factor-like activities of MBL and MASP-1/3 complexes.
  • Utilized MBL-deficient mice to study hemostasis following injury in vivo.
  • Infected MBL-null mice with Staphylococcus aureus to evaluate disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and organ damage.

Main Results:

  • MBL and MASP-1/3 exhibit thrombin-like activity, suggesting a role in coagulation.
  • MBL and MASP-1/3 deficient hosts show impaired hemostasis post-injury.
  • MBL-null mice infected with S. aureus developed DIC, elevated IL-6, and liver injury.

Conclusions:

  • MBL and MASP-1/3 play a significant role in mediating coagulation-like activities and hemostasis.
  • MBL deficiency can lead to disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and organ failure during infectious disease, particularly S. aureus infections.
  • These findings highlight a critical link between the innate immune system, coagulation, and infectious disease pathogenesis.

More Related Videos

A Simple Protocol for Platelet-mediated Clumping of Plasmodium falciparum-infected Erythrocytes in a Resource Poor Setting07:27

A Simple Protocol for Platelet-mediated Clumping of Plasmodium falciparum-infected Erythrocytes in a Resource Poor Setting

Published on: May 16, 2013

Related Concept Videos

Extrinsic and Intrinsic Pathways of Hemostasis01:20

Extrinsic and Intrinsic Pathways of Hemostasis

Blood clotting or coagulation involves extrinsic and intrinsic pathways, which ultimately merge into the common pathway, forming a fibrin clot.
The Extrinsic Pathway
The extrinsic pathway of coagulation is typically initiated by tissue damage that exposes blood to tissue factor (TF), a protein released by the damaged tissue cells outside the blood vessels—this interaction with TF triggers biochemical reactions involving specific clotting factors. The key player here is Factor VII, which forms a...
Anticoagulant Drugs: Low-Molecular-Weight Heparins01:30

Anticoagulant Drugs: Low-Molecular-Weight Heparins

Hemostasis is a crucial process that prevents excessive blood loss from damaged blood vessels. It involves various mechanisms such as vasoconstriction, platelet adhesion and activation, and fibrin formation. The importance of each mechanism depends on the type of vessel injury. In contrast, thrombosis is the abnormal formation of a blood clot within the blood vessels, leading to potential complications if the clot obstructs blood flow. Thrombosis can be caused by increased coagulability of the...
Complement System01:27

Complement System

The complement system is a group of approximately 20 plasma proteins that strengthen the body's defenses against infections through opsonization, inflammation, and cell lysis. Opsonization involves coating pathogens with complement proteins, making them more recognizable and facilitating phagocyte engulfment. Certain complement proteins induce inflammation that attracts immune cells to the site of infection. Cell lysis involves the destruction of pathogens through the formation of a membrane...
Disorders of Hemostasis01:24

Disorders of Hemostasis

Hemostasis, the process that stops bleeding after a blood vessel injury, is crucial for maintaining the integrity of the circulatory system. However, disorders of hemostasis can disrupt this delicate balance, leading to either excessive clotting or bleeding. These disorders can be broadly classified into thromboembolic disorders and bleeding disorders.
Thromboembolic Disorders
Two factors primarily cause thromboembolic conditions.
Determinants of Bacterial Pathogenicity and Virulence01:20

Determinants of Bacterial Pathogenicity and Virulence

Pathogenic bacteria employ a variety of strategies to establish infections, including the secretion of extracellular enzymes that act as potent virulence factors. These enzymes facilitate bacterial colonization of host tissues and help evade immune surveillance. By targeting structural components of host tissues and interfering with immune mechanisms, these enzymes play a pivotal role in disease progression.Extracellular Enzymes Facilitating Tissue Invasion: Several bacterial pathogens secrete...
Role of Matrix Metalloproteases in Degradation of ECM01:23

Role of Matrix Metalloproteases in Degradation of ECM

Matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) are enzymes involved in the hydrolysis of proteins and glycoproteins of the extracellular matrix. MMPs are essential for the migration and proliferation of cells through the dense matrix network, throughout embryonic development, and throughout morphogenesis. The first MMP activity discovered was a collagenase in a tadpole's tail undergoing metamorphosis. The active collagen deposition and modifications lead to the morphogenesis of tadpoles into the adult body.
A...