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. 2002 May 25;9(3):329–337. doi: 10.1006/scdb.1998.0242

Viral interference with antibody and complement

John Lubinski 1, Thandavarayan Nagashunmugam 1, Harvey M Friedman 1
PMCID: PMC7172161  PMID: 9665870

Abstract

Viruses have evolved strategies to evade immunity mediated by antibody and complement. Herpesviruses and coronaviruses encode IgG Fc binding proteins that inhibit IgG activity, enabling the virus or infected cell to escape antibody attack. Herpesviruses, vaccinia virus and HIV-1 have the capacity to interfere with complement, either by incorporation of cellular complement regulatory proteins into the virion envelope or cell membrane, or by expression of viral molecules that mimic functions of complement regulatory proteins. The structure and biological activities of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) glycoproteins gE, gI and gC are described. These glycoproteins protect HSV from immune attack; HSV-1 gE/gI form a complex that binds the Fc domain of IgG while gC is a C3b binding complement regulatory protein, providing a survival advantage to the virusin vitroandin vivoby inhibiting immune functions.

Keywords: complement, complement regulatory proteins, Fc receptors, HSV-1, immune evasion


Articles from Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology are provided here courtesy of Elsevier

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