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Updated: Apr 22, 2026

Measuring Erythrocyte Complement Receptor 1 Using Flow Cytometry
Published on: May 19, 2020
Cellular receptors for fragments of the third component of complement
1Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Insights
Cellular receptors like CR1, CR2, and CR3 bind complement C3 fragments, mediating biological effects. Molecular identification of these proteins accelerates understanding of their roles in immune reactions.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Molecular Biology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- The complement system plays a crucial role in biological processes.
- Cellular receptors bind C3 fragments, mediating many complement system effects.
- These receptors are found on various cell types, including lymphocytes and erythrocytes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the roles of complement receptors (CR1, CR2, CR3) in immunological reactions.
- To highlight the impact of molecular identification on understanding these receptors.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature.
- Focus on molecular identification of complement receptors.
Main Results:
- Complement receptors CR1, CR2, and CR3 bind C3 fragments.
- These receptors are expressed on lymphocytes, myelomonocytic cells, erythrocytes, and renal podocytes.
- Molecular identification has significantly advanced the understanding of these proteins.
Conclusions:
- The molecular identification of complement receptors has accelerated research into their functions.
- Understanding CR1, CR2, and CR3 is key to comprehending immunological reactions mediated by the complement system.
Abstract:
Many of the biological effects of the complement system are mediated by cellular receptors which can bind the fragments of C3 that are covalently attached to activators of complement. These receptors, which are termed CR1, CR2 and CR3, reside on lymphocytes, myelomonocytic cells, erythrocytes and renal podocytes. Progress in understanding their roles in im munological reactions has recently accelerated, as summarized in this review by Douglas Fearon, because of the molecular identification of these membrane proteins.
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