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The cobra complement system: II. The membrane attack complex.

C W Vogel, H J Müller-Eberhard

    Developmental and Comparative Immunology
    |January 1, 1985
    PubMed
    Summary
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    Cobra plasma lyses rabbit red blood cells, forming membrane attack complexes similar to humans. Cobra complement proteins, including poly C9, closely resemble mammalian counterparts.

    Area of Science:

    • Immunology
    • Biochemistry
    • Cell Biology

    Background:

    • The complement system is a crucial part of innate immunity.
    • The membrane attack complex (MAC) is the terminal effector of complement.
    • Understanding MAC structure and function across species provides evolutionary insights.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the mechanism of rabbit erythrocyte lysis by cobra plasma.
    • To characterize the structure and protein composition of the cobra MAC.
    • To compare the cobra MAC with its mammalian counterpart.

    Main Methods:

    • Rabbit erythrocytes were incubated with cobra plasma.
    • Electron microscopy was used to visualize erythrocyte membrane lesions.
    • Protein analysis was performed on lysed erythrocyte membranes.

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    Main Results:

    • Cobra plasma induced complement lesions on rabbit erythrocyte membranes.
    • Ultrastructural analysis revealed structures resembling human C5b-8 complexes.
    • Proteins in cobra-lysed membranes were similar in number and molecular weight to human MAC proteins, including resistant cobra poly C9.

    Conclusions:

    • The membrane attack complex of cobra complement is highly similar to mammalian MAC.
    • Cobra poly C9 exhibits resistance to denaturation, suggesting structural stability.
    • These findings highlight conserved features of the complement system across vertebrate evolution.