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The Complement System in Innate Immunity

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Innate Immunity of Plants, Animals, and Humans

Part of the book series: Nucleic Acids and Molecular Biology ((NUCLEIC,volume 21))

Complement is an important component of the innate immune defence of animals against infectious agents. The complement system in mammals is well characterised and consists of about 35–40 proteins, present in blood plasma and other body fluids, and also on cell surfaces. The function of complement is to rec-ognise and opsonise particulate materials including invading micro-organisms and “altered-self” cells (dying, infected or damaged host cells). Recognition of a target by large polymeric complement proteins including C1q, MBL and the ficolins results in activation of proteases which cleave complement protein C3, a thiolester-containing protein (TEP) which binds covalently to the target. Target-bound complement proteins opsonise the target by promoting interaction with phagocytic cells which express complement receptors. The complement system appears to be highly conserved in vertebrates, although research on reptiles and amphibians is limited. Only a few invertebrate animals have been studied, but likely ortho-logues of complement target-recognition proteins, proteases and TEPs have been demonstrated in cephalochordates, urochordates, echinoderms, arthropods and coe-lenterates. This suggests that complement-like activity has been important in host defence since an early stage in the evolution of multicellular animals.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. MRC Immunochemistry Unit, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK

    K. R. Mayilyan, Y. H. Kang, A. W. Dodds & R. B. Sim

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  1. K. R. Mayilyan
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  2. Y. H. Kang
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  3. A. W. Dodds
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  4. R. B. Sim
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Immunology and Cell Biology, Research Center Borstel, Parkallee 22, 23845, Borstel, Germany

    Holger Heine

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Mayilyan, K.R., Kang, Y.H., Dodds, A.W., Sim, R.B. (2008). The Complement System in Innate Immunity. In: Heine, H. (eds) Innate Immunity of Plants, Animals, and Humans. Nucleic Acids and Molecular Biology, vol 21. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-73930-2_10

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