This image is a scaled-down version of the actual pathway image. It does not contain any links to the protein information pages.
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Description |
Complement is a complex system containing more than 30 various glycoproteins present in serum in the form of components, factors, or other regulators and/or on the surface of different cells in the form of receptors. It is a highly sophisticated host defence system designed to destroy pathogens. Once the complement system is activated, a chain of reactions involving proteolysis and assembly occurs, resulting in destruction of the membranes of pathogens. The cascade up to the cleavage of C3 (Complement component 3), which plays a central role in the complement system, is called the activation pathway. There are three categories of complement pathway; the classical pathway, alternative pathway and lectin pathway (Ref.1).
The recently discovered lectin pathway (also called MBL [...] |
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References:
1. Phylogenetic perspectives in innate immunity.Hoffmann JA, Kafatos FC, Janeway CA, Ezekowitz RA.Science. 1999 May 21;284(5418):1313-8.2. Role of the mannose-binding lectin in innate immunity.Ezekowitz RA.J Infect Dis. 2003 Jun 15;187 Suppl 2:S335-9.
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