title: C1 fixation and classical complement pathway activation by a fragment of the Cmu4 domain of IgM.
abstract: A 56 residue fragment derived from a Waldenströme IgM protein and consisting of 24 residues of the amino-terminal portion of the Cmu4 domain disulfide bonded to 32 residues of the carboxy-terminal region of the loop has been shown to fix active C1 (C1) in a C1-fixation assay. Cleavage of the disulfide bond within the CH4 fragment resulted in a marked decrease of C1-fixing ability, although the isolated A and B fragments did retain a limited ability to fix C1. Upon incubation with normal human serum the intact CH4 fragment and equal molar amounts of the isolated A and B peptides consumed C4 suggesting that the C1-activating determinant of IgM remains intact in these three fragments. Furthermore, on a molar basis the intact or the reduced CH4 fragment consumed C4 as effectively as each of its component chains suggesting that transient binding of C1 by the individual A and B peptide chains is sufficient to activate C1. On the basis of these observations it is proposed that a classical complement fixation function, i.e. C1 binding and activation, can be localized within a region of the IgM molecule corresponding to the Cmu4 domain.
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D003172:Complement C1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D003168:Complement Fixation Tests; D003165:Complement System Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007128:Immunoglobulin Fragments; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000378:metabolism; D008970:Molecular Weight
chemical_list: D003172:Complement C1; D007128:Immunoglobulin Fragments; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D003165:Complement System Proteins