Multiple roles of complement MASP-1 at the interface of innate immune response and coagulation

József Dobó1, Verena Schroeder2, Lorenz Jenny2

  • 1Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt. 2, H-1113 Budapest, Hungary.

Molecular Immunology
|June 18, 2014
PubMed

MASP-1 is a versatile serine protease that cleaves a number of substrates in human blood. In recent years it became evident that besides playing a crucial role in complement activation MASP-1 also triggers other cascade systems and even cells to mount a more powerful innate immune response. In this review we summarize the latest discoveries about the diverse functions of this multi-faceted protease. Recent studies revealed that among MBL-associated serine proteases, MASP-1 is the one responsible for triggering the lectin pathway via its ability to rapidly autoactivate then cleave MASP-2, and possibly MASP-3. The crystal structure of MASP-1 explains its more relaxed substrate specificity compared to the related complement enzymes. Due to the relaxed specificity, MASP-1 interacts with the coagulation cascade and the kinin generating system, and it can also activate endothelial cells eliciting pro-inflammatory signaling.

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