Skip to main content
NCBI home page
The American Journal of Pathology logoLink to The American Journal of Pathology
. 1983 Sep;112(3):267–277.

Complement-mediated binding of monocytes to intermediate filaments in vitro.

E Linder, H Helin, C M Chang, T S Edgington
PMCID: PMC1916396  PMID: 6225341

Abstract

An in vitro model for complement (C)-mediated monocyte binding to injured cells is described. This model is based on the property of cytoskeletal intermediate filaments (IMF) to directly and independently activate serum C via the classic pathway. Fixed monolayers of cultured fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and L 132 epithelial cells were each used as targets. The authors first subjected the target cells to limited detergent extraction in order to make permeable the plasma membrane, and then exposed them to normal human serum. Immunohistologic analysis demonstrated that this process permitted binding of clearly demonstrable amounts of C1q, C4, and C3 to cytoplasmic loci containing IMF. The target cells were then incubated for various lengths of time with peripheral blood mononuclear cells containing about 20% monocytes. Preferential binding of monocytes was demonstrated by histochemical and immunologic staining methods. Only 5% of the attached cells were B lymphocytes. By transmission electron microscopy the attached cells exhibited typical monocyte morphology. Attachment to target cells involved contact with areas rich in IMFs and led to signs of activation; both an increased number of cytoplasmic organelles and phagocytosis of target cell material were observed. Attachment of monocytes was clearly dependent on serum treatment of the targets; the ratio was 10:1 when compared with control experiments using target cells that had not been incubated with serum. It is reasonable to consider that bound monocyte-derived macrophages associate with activated C components, most likely C3b fragments or C1q, for which monocyte surface receptors have been established. This mechanism may be triggered in various inflammatory reactions involving cell and tissue injury and as an event in the final stages of macrophage-mediated removal of injured or nonviable cells.

Full text

PDF
267

Images in this article

272Figure 5
on p.272
268Figure 1
on p.268
269Figure 2
on p.269
270Figure 3
on p.270
271Figure 4
on p.271
273p273-a
on p.273
274Figure 6
on p.274
275Figure 7
on p.275

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bevilacqua M. P., Amrani D., Mosesson M. W., Bianco C. Receptors for cold-insoluble globulin (plasma fibronectin) on human monocytes. J Exp Med. 1981 Jan 1;153(1):42–60. doi: 10.1084/jem.153.1.42. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Blose S. H., Chacko S. Rings of intermediate (100 A) filament bundles in the perinuclear region of vascular endothelial cells. Their mobilization by colcemid and mitosis. J Cell Biol. 1976 Aug;70(2 Pt 1):459–466. doi: 10.1083/jcb.70.2.459. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Breard J., Reinherz E. L., Kung P. C., Goldstein G., Schlossman S. F. A monoclonal antibody reactive with human peripheral blood monocytes. J Immunol. 1980 Apr;124(4):1943–1948. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Cline M. J., Lehrer R. I., Territo M. C., Golde D. W. UCLA Conference. Monocytes and macrophages: functions and diseases. Ann Intern Med. 1978 Jan;88(1):78–88. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-88-1-78. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Cohn Z. A. Activation of mononuclear phagocytes: fact, fancy, and future. J Immunol. 1978 Sep;121(3):813–816. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Franke W. W., Schmid E., Schiller D. L., Winter S., Jarasch E. D., Moll R., Denk H., Jackson B. W., Illmensee K. Differentiation-related patterns of expression of proteins of intermediate-size filaments in tissues and cultured cells. Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol. 1982;46(Pt 1):431–453. doi: 10.1101/sqb.1982.046.01.041. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Gordon S., Cohn Z. A. The macrophage. Int Rev Cytol. 1973;36:171–214. doi: 10.1016/s0074-7696(08)60218-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Graham R. C., Jr, Karnovsky M. J. The early stages of absorption of injected horseradish peroxidase in the proximal tubules of mouse kidney: ultrastructural cytochemistry by a new technique. J Histochem Cytochem. 1966 Apr;14(4):291–302. doi: 10.1177/14.4.291. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. HAYFLICK L. THE LIMITED IN VITRO LIFETIME OF HUMAN DIPLOID CELL STRAINS. Exp Cell Res. 1965 Mar;37:614–636. doi: 10.1016/0014-4827(65)90211-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Hormia M., Linder E., Lehto V. P., Vartio T., Badley R. A., Virtanen I. Vimentin filaments in cultured endothelial cells form butyrate-sensitive juxtanuclear masses after repeated subculture. Exp Cell Res. 1982 Mar;138(1):159–166. doi: 10.1016/0014-4827(82)90101-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Johnson W. D., Jr, Mei B., Cohn Z. A. The separation, long-term cultivation, and maturation of the human monocyte. J Exp Med. 1977 Dec 1;146(6):1613–1626. doi: 10.1084/jem.146.6.1613. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Linder E. Antibody-independent binding of Clq and activation of serum complement by human skin in vitro. J Invest Dermatol. 1982 Feb;78(2):116–120. doi: 10.1111/1523-1747.ep12505778. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Linder E. Binding of C1q and complement activation by vascular endothelium. J Immunol. 1981 Feb;126(2):648–658. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Linder E., Lehto V. P., Stenman S. Activation of complement by cytoskeletal intermediate filaments. Nature. 1979 Mar 8;278(5700):176–178. doi: 10.1038/278176a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Linder E., Lehto V. P., Virtanen I. Amyloid-like green birefringence in cytoskeletal 10 nm filaments after staining with Congo red. Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand A. 1979 Sep;87A(5):299–306. doi: 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1979.tb00056.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Mogensen C. E. The glomerular permeability determined by dextran clearance using Sephadex gel filtration. Scand J Clin Lab Invest. 1968;21(1):77–82. doi: 10.3109/00365516809076979. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Nathan C. F., Murray H. W., Cohn Z. A. The macrophage as an effector cell. N Engl J Med. 1980 Sep 11;303(11):622–626. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198009113031106. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Osborn M., Geisler N., Shaw G., Sharp G., Weber K. Intermediate filaments. Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol. 1982;46(Pt 1):413–429. doi: 10.1101/sqb.1982.046.01.040. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Ross G. D., Lambris J. D. Identification of a C3bi-specific membrane complement receptor that is expressed on lymphocytes, monocytes, neutrophils, and erythrocytes. J Exp Med. 1982 Jan 1;155(1):96–110. doi: 10.1084/jem.155.1.96. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Tenner A. J., Cooper N. R. Analysis of receptor-mediated C1q binding to human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. J Immunol. 1980 Oct;125(4):1658–1664. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Unanue E. R. The regulatory role of macrophages in antigenic stimulation. Part Two: symbiotic relationship between lymphocytes and macrophages. Adv Immunol. 1981;31:1–136. doi: 10.1016/s0065-2776(08)60919-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Yam L. T., Li C. Y., Crosby W. H. Cytochemical identification of monocytes and granulocytes. Am J Clin Pathol. 1971 Mar;55(3):283–290. doi: 10.1093/ajcp/55.3.283. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The American Journal of Pathology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Investigative Pathology

RESOURCES