Skip to main content
NCBI home page
The Journal of Experimental Medicine logoLink to The Journal of Experimental Medicine
. 1976 Jun 1;143(6):1352–1366. doi: 10.1084/jem.143.6.1352

Nonspecific complement activation by streptococcal structures. II. Properdin-independent initiation of the alternate pathway

PMCID: PMC2190200  PMID: 818335

Abstract

Complement consumption by isolated membranes and walls from Group A streptococci and various other gram-positive microbes has been tested. These microbial structures were found to activate the alternate complement pathway. However, unlike endotoxin, inulin, or other plant polysaccharides, activation of complement by our material was found to bypass properdin. The activating factor(s) also differs from cobra venom in its/their requirement for factor D. Preliminary experiments suggest this factor isolated from membranes to be a protein and to have a mol wt greater than 40-60,000 daltons. Our studies have led us to speculate that the phylogenetic role of the alternate complement pathway may be the primordial nonspecific defense system which has retained certain fundamental aspects up to the present time.

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. BLEIWEIS A. S., KARAKAWA W. W., KRAUSE R. M. IMPROVED TECHNIQUE FOR THE PREPARATION OF STREPTOCOCCAL CELL WALLS. J Bacteriol. 1964 Oct;88:1198–1200. doi: 10.1128/jb.88.4.1198-1200.1964. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Brade V., Nicholson A., Lee G. D., Mayer M. M. The reaction of zymosan with the properdin system: isolation of purified factor D from guinea pig serum and study of its reaction characteristics. J Immunol. 1974 May;112(5):1845–1854. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Day N. K., Gewurz H., Johannsen R., Finstad J., Good R. A. Complement and complement-like activity in lower vertebrates and invertebrates. J Exp Med. 1970 Nov;132(5):941–950. doi: 10.1084/jem.132.5.941. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Dossett J. H., Kronvall G., Williams R. C., Jr, Quie P. G. Antiphagocytic effects of staphylococcal protein A. J Immunol. 1969 Dec;103(6):1405–1410. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Ensky J., Hinz C. F., Jr, Todd E. W., Wedgwood R. J., Boyer J. T., Lepow I. H. Properties of highly purified human properdin. J Immunol. 1968 Jan;100(1):142–158. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. FOLCH J., LEES M., SLOANE STANLEY G. H. A simple method for the isolation and purification of total lipides from animal tissues. J Biol Chem. 1957 May;226(1):497–509. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. FREIMER E. H., KRAUSE R. M., McCARTY M. Studies of L forms and protoplasts of group A streptococci. I. Isolation, growth, and bacteriologic characteristics. J Exp Med. 1959 Dec 1;110:853–874. doi: 10.1084/jem.110.6.853. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. FULTON F., DUMBELL K. R. The serological comparison of strains of influenza virus. J Gen Microbiol. 1949 Jan;3(1):97–111. doi: 10.1099/00221287-3-1-97. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Fine D. P., Marney S. R., Jr, Colley D. G., Sergent J. S., Des Prez R. M. C3 shunt activation in human serum chelated with EGTA. J Immunol. 1972 Oct;109(4):807–809. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Fischetti V. A., Gotschlich E. C., Bernheimer A. W. Purification and physical properties of group C streptococcal phage-associated lysin. J Exp Med. 1971 May 1;133(5):1105–1117. doi: 10.1084/jem.133.5.1105. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Forsgren A., Quie P. G. Influence of the alternate complement pathway in opsonization of several bacterial species. Infect Immun. 1974 Aug;10(2):402–404. doi: 10.1128/iai.10.2.402-404.1974. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Fu S. M., Kunkel H. G., Brusman H. P., Allen F. H., Jr, Fotino M. Evidence for linkage between HL-A histocompatibility genes and those involved in the synthesis of the second component of complement. J Exp Med. 1974 Oct 1;140(4):1108–1111. doi: 10.1084/jem.140.4.1108. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Galanos C., Rietschel E. T., Lüderitz O., Westphal O. Interaction of lipopolysaccharides and lipid A with complement. Eur J Biochem. 1971 Mar 1;19(1):143–152. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1971.tb01298.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Halbert S. P., Holm S. E., Thompson A. Cardiac autoantibodies. I. Immunodiffusion analysis of multiple responses evoked homologously and heterologously. J Exp Med. 1968 Mar 1;127(3):613–631. doi: 10.1084/jem.127.3.613. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Hirata A. A., Terasaki P. I. Cross-reactions between streptococcal M proteins and human transplantation antigens. Science. 1970 May 29;168(3935):1095–1096. doi: 10.1126/science.168.3935.1095. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Jorgensen J. H., Carvajal H. F., Chipps B. E., Smith R. F. Rapid detection of gram-negative bacteriuria by use of the Limulus endotoxin assay. Appl Microbiol. 1973 Jul;26(1):38–42. doi: 10.1128/am.26.1.38-42.1973. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Joseph B. S., Cooper N. R., Oldstone M. B. Immunologic injury of cultured cells infected with measles virus. I. role of IfG antibody and the alternative complement pathway. J Exp Med. 1975 Apr 1;141(4):761–774. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Lacks S. Mutants of Diplococcus pneumoniae that lack deoxyribonucleases and other activities possibly pertinent to genetic transformation. J Bacteriol. 1970 Feb;101(2):373–383. doi: 10.1128/jb.101.2.373-383.1970. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. McLean R. H., Michael A. F. Properdin anc C3 proactivator: alternate pathway components in human glomerulonephritis. J Clin Invest. 1973 Mar;52(3):634–644. doi: 10.1172/JCI107225. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Natali P. G., Tan E. M. Precipitin reactions between polyribonucleotides and heat labile serum factors. J Immunol. 1972 Feb;108(2):318–324. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. PILLEMER L., LEPOW I. H., BLUM L. The requirement for a hydrazine-sensitive serum factor and heat-labile serum factors in the inactivation of human C'3 by zymosan. J Immunol. 1953 Nov;71(5):339–345. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Robbins J. B., Myerowitz L., Whisnant J. K., Argaman M., Schneerson R., Handzel Z. T., Gotschlich E. C. Enteric bacteria cross-reactive with Neisseria meningitidis groups A and C and Diplococcus pneumoniae types I and 3. Infect Immun. 1972 Nov;6(5):651–656. doi: 10.1128/iai.6.5.651-656.1972. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Ruddy S. Chemistry and biologic activity of the complement system. Transplant Proc. 1974 Mar;6(1):1–7. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. SMITH R. T., THOMAS L. The lethal effect of endotoxins on the chick embryo. J Exp Med. 1956 Aug 1;104(2):217–231. doi: 10.1084/jem.104.2.217. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Tauber J. W., Falk J. A., Falk R. E., Zabriskie J. B. Nonspecific complement activation by streptococcal structures. I. Re-evaluation of HLA cytotoxicity inhibition. J Exp Med. 1976 Jun 1;143(6):1341–1351. doi: 10.1084/jem.143.6.1341. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Westberg N. G., Naff G. B., Boyer J. T., Michael A. F. Glomerular deposition of properdin in acute and chronic glomerulonephritis with hypocomplementemia. J Clin Invest. 1971 Mar;50(3):642–649. doi: 10.1172/JCI106534. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Zabriskie J. B. Streptococcal cross-reactive antigens in relation to rheumatic fever. Zentralbl Bakteriol Orig. 1970;214(3):339–351. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES