title: Inhibition of the complement cascade by the major secretory protein of vaccinia virus.
abstract: The complement system contributes to host defenses against invasion by infectious agents. A 35-kilodalton protein, encoded by vaccinia virus and secreted from infected cells, has sequence similarities to members of a gene family that includes complement control proteins. Biochemical and genetic studies showed that the viral protein binds to derivatives of the fourth component of complement and inhibits the classical complement cascade, suggesting that it serves as a defense molecule to help the virus evade the consequences of complement activation.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Viral Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Kotwal
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Isaacs
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: McKenzie
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Frank
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Moss
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D015935:Complement C4b / Q000378:metabolism*; D003171:Complement Pathway, Classical; D006462:Hemolytic Plaque Technique; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D014616:Vaccinia virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014764:Viral Proteins; C066459:complement-control protein, Vaccinia virus; D015935:Complement C4b