title: Prediction from sequence comparisons of residues of factor H involved in the interaction with complement component C3b.
abstract: The amino acid sequence of the region of bovine factor H containing the C3b binding site has been derived from sequencing overlapping cDNA clones. A cDNA sequence encoding 669 amino acids was obtained. Like human and mouse factor H the sequence can be arranged into a number of internally homologous units (CPs), each of which is about 60 amino acids long and is based on a framework of four conserved cysteine residues. Bovine factor H is of the same molecular mass as human and mouse factor H, and is therefore likely to be composed of 20 contiguous CPs. Comparisons with human and mouse factor H indicate that the partial bovine sequence encodes CPs 2-12 inclusive of bovine factor H. Bovine factor H binds to human ammonia-treated C3 (causing thiolester cleavage) [C3(NH3)] and promotes the cleavage of human C3(NH3) in the presence of bovine factor I. Other studies indicate that CPs 2-5 of human factor H encompass the C3b binding and factor I cofactor activity site. Multiple sequence alignments of human factor H, mouse factor H (which also interacts with human C3b) and bovine factor H with CP modules whose structures have been determined experimentally, have been used to predict residues in the hypervariable loops of CPs 2-5 and to identify residues of potential importance in human C3 binding and factor I cofactor activity. Leu-17 and Gly-20 of CP 2, Ser-17, Ala-19, Glu-21, Asp-23 and Glu-25 of CP 3 and Lys-18 of CP 4 are all conserved between the three species. It may be that CPs 3 and 4 interact with C3(NH3) directly, whilst CPs 2 and 5 maintain the correct orientation for CPs 3 and 4 to interact.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, U.K.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Soames
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Day
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Sim
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites / Q000235:genetics; D002417:Cattle; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003179:Complement C3b / Q000378:metabolism*; D017242:Complement Factor H / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: C493495:CFH protein, human; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D003179:Complement C3b; D017242:Complement Factor H