Skip to main content
The Journal of Experimental Medicine logoLink to The Journal of Experimental Medicine
. 1963 Jun 1;117(6):983–1008. doi: 10.1084/jem.117.6.983

CHROMATOGRAPHIC RESOLUTION OF THE FIRST COMPONENT OF HUMAN COMPLEMENT INTO THREE ACTIVITIES

I H Lepow 1, G B Naff 1, E W Todd 1, J Pensky 1, C F Hinz Jr 1
PMCID: PMC2137589  PMID: 13929797

Abstract

A euglobulin fraction of human C'1 has been chromatographically resolved into three distinct activities, designated C'1q, C'1r, and C'1s, in the order of their elution from DEAE cellulose. All three of these activities have been shown to participate in various hemolytic reactions requiring C'1, including the cold phase of the Donath-Landsteiner reaction, and to be necessary for generation of C'1 esterase. C'1q was identical with a previously described serum protein implicated in a very early step of complement action and designated the 11S component on the basis of its sedimentation constant. C'1r could not be related to a known complement activity and has been presented as a new component. C'1s, on the basis of chromatographic evidence, was identified with C'1 proesterase. Methods of assay of these components of C'1 have been presented. The significance of C'1q, C'1r, and C'1s in generation of C'1 esterase and the central role of this enzyme in reactions involving C'1, C'4, and C'2 have been discussed.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (1.4 MB).

Selected References

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

  1. AMIRAIAN K., PLESCIA O. J., CAVALLO G., HEIDELBERGER M. Complex nature of the step in immune hemolysis involving third component of complement. Science. 1958 Jan 31;127(3292):239–240. doi: 10.1126/science.127.3292.239. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. ARDAY F. R., PILLEMER L., LEPOW I. H. The properdin system and immunity. VIII. Studies on the purification and properties of the third component of human complement. J Immunol. 1959 May;82(5):458–466. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. BECKER E. L. Concerning the mechanism of complement action. II. The nature of the first component of guinea pig complement. J Immunol. 1956 Dec;77(6):469–478. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. DELOOZE L. L., RANSBY A., LEON M. A. Activity of CT in rabbit antisheep hemolysin. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1962 Feb;109:393–394. doi: 10.3181/00379727-109-27214. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. GOLDBERG B., GREEN H. The cytotoxic action of immune gamma globulin and complement on Krebs ascites tumor cells. I. Ultrastructural studies. J Exp Med. 1959 May 1;109(5):505–510. doi: 10.1084/jem.109.5.505. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. GREEN H., BARROW P., GOLDBERG B. Effect of antibody and complement on permeability control in ascites tumor cells and erythrocytes. J Exp Med. 1959 Nov 1;110:699–713. doi: 10.1084/jem.110.5.699. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. GREEN H., FLEISCHER R. A., BARROW P., GOLDBERG B. The cytotoxic action of immune gamma globulin and complement on Krebs ascites tumor cells. II. Chemical studies. J Exp Med. 1959 May 1;109(5):511–521. doi: 10.1084/jem.109.5.511. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Hinz C. F., Picken M. E., Lepow I. H. STUDIES ON IMMUNE HUMAN HEMOLYSIS : II. THE DONATH-LANDSTEINER REACTION AS A MODEL SYSTEM FOR STUDYING THE MECHANISM OF ACTION OF COMPLEMENT AND THE ROLE OF C'1 AND C'1 ESTERASE. J Exp Med. 1961 Jan 1;113(1):193–218. doi: 10.1084/jem.113.1.193. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. KENT J. F., OTERO A. G., HARRIGAN R. E. Relative specificity of serologic tests for syphilis in Mycobacterium leprae infection. Am J Clin Pathol. 1957 May;27(5):539–545. doi: 10.1093/ajcp/27.5.539. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. KLEIN P. G. Studies on immune hemolysis: preparation of a stable and highly reactive complex of sensitized erythrocytes and the first component of complement (EAC'1): inactivation of cell-fixed C'1 by some complement reagents. J Exp Med. 1960 Jan 1;111:77–91. doi: 10.1084/jem.111.1.77. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. LEON M. A. Kinetics of human complement. II. Separation of the reaction between human complement and sensitized cells into two steps. J Immunol. 1956 Jun;76(6):428–432. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. LEON M. A. Quantitative studies on the properdin-complement system. II. Kinetics of the reaction between properdin and zymosan. J Exp Med. 1957 May 1;105(5):403–415. doi: 10.1084/jem.105.5.403. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. LEPOW I. H., LEON M. A. Interaction of a serum inhibitor of C'I-esterase with intermediate complexes of the immune haemolytic system. I. Specificity of inhibition of C'I activity associated with intermediate complexes. Immunology. 1962 Mar;5:222–234. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. LEPOW I. H., RATNOFF O. D., LEVY L. R. Studies on the activation of a proesterase associated with partially purified first component of human complement. J Exp Med. 1958 Mar 1;107(3):451–474. doi: 10.1084/jem.107.3.451. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. LEPOW I. H., RATNOFF O. D., ROSEN F. S., PILLEMER L. Observations on a pro-esterase associated with partially purified first component of human complement (C'1). Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1956 May;92(1):32–37. doi: 10.3181/00379727-92-22376. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. LEPOW I. H., ROSS A. Studies on immune cellular injury. II. Functional role of C'1 esterase in immune cytotoxicity. J Exp Med. 1960 Dec 1;112:1107–1120. doi: 10.1084/jem.112.6.1107. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. LEVINE L., MAYER M. M., RAPP H. J. Kinetic studies on immune hemolysis. VI. Resolution of the C'y reaction step into two successive processes involving C'2 and C'3. J Immunol. 1954 Dec;73(6):435–442. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. LEVY L. R., LEPOW I. H. Assay and properties of serum inhibitor of C'l-esterase. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1959 Aug-Sep;101:608–611. doi: 10.3181/00379727-101-25034. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. MULLER-EBERHARD H. J., KUNKEL H. G. Isolation of a thermolabile serum protein which precipitates gamma-globulin aggregates and participates in immune hemolysis. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1961 Feb;106:291–295. doi: 10.3181/00379727-106-26313. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. RAPP H. J. Mechanism of immune hemolysis: recognition of two steps in the conversion of EAC' 1,4,2 to E. Science. 1958 Jan 31;127(3292):234–236. doi: 10.1126/science.127.3292.234-a. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. RAPP H. J., SIMS M. R., BORSOS T. Separation of components of guinea pig complement by chromatography. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1959 Apr;100(4):730–733. doi: 10.3181/00379727-100-24758. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. RATNOFF O. D., LEPOW I. H. Some properties of an esterase derived from preparations of the first component of complement. J Exp Med. 1957 Aug 1;106(2):327–343. doi: 10.1084/jem.106.2.327. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. TARANTA A., WEISS H. S., FRANKLIN E. C. Precipitating factor for aggregated gamma-globulins in normal human sera. Nature. 1961 Jan 21;189:239–240. doi: 10.1038/189239a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. TAYLOR A. B., LEON M. A. Third component of human complement: resolution into two factors and demonstration of a new reaction intermediate. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1959 Jul;101(3):587–588. doi: 10.3181/00379727-101-25026. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. WEDGWOOD R. J. Measurement of the components of complement by the reagent titration technique. Z Immun exp ther. 1959 Oct-Nov;118:358–367. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Experimental Medicine are provided here courtesy of The Rockefeller University Press

RESOURCES