title: Assembly of macromolecular pores by immune defense systems.
abstract: Immune defence systems (complement, cytolytic lymphocytes) make use of transmembrane pores assembled from up to 20 soluble monomers in a highly regulated process to induce cell death. Inhibitors of pore formation have been found which protect blood, endothelial and epithelial cells from the destructive effect of complement lesions. Recently, a pore-forming protein showing immunological crossreactivity to complement C9 has been found in the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, thereby extending this protein family and generalizing its means of generating non-selective membrane permeability.
authors.affiliation: University of Lausanne, Epalinges, Switzerland.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Peitsch
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tschopp
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000502:physiology; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D018957:CD59 Antigens; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability; D015938:Complement Membrane Attack Complex / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000502:physiology; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D054353:Perforin; D052899:Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000378:metabolism; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D001798:Blood Proteins; D018957:CD59 Antigens; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D015938:Complement Membrane Attack Complex; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D052899:Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins; C051590:CD59 protein, human; D054353:Perforin