title: Activation of the lectin complement pathway by ficolins.
abstract: Mannose-binding lectin (MBL), a serum lectin specific for mannose or N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc), which contains both a collagen-like domain and a carbohydrate-recognition domain (CRD), plays a role in innate immunity by acting as an opsonin and activating complement in association with MBL-associated serine protease (MASP) via the lectin pathway. Another type of GlcNAc-binding lectins termed "ficolins" exist in serum. They are characterized by the presence of both a collagen-like domain and a fibrinogen-like domain. Investigations of two types of human serum ficolins, ficolin/P35 and Hakata antigen, revealed that they are associated with MASPs and sMAP, a truncated protein of MASP-2, and activate complement. These findings indicate that, like MBL, serum ficolins are collagenous lectins capable of activating the lectin pathway and thus have a role in innate immunity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, 1-Higariga-oka, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan. mmatsu@fmu.ac.jp
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsushita
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Endo
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hamasaki
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujita
mesh_terms: D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D037222:Collectins; D003167:Complement Activation / Q000187:drug effects*; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D037102:Lectins / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D050606:Mannose-Binding Protein-Associated Serine Proteases; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000097:blood; D000097604:Ficolins
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D037222:Collectins; D006023:Glycoproteins; D037102:Lectins; D050606:Mannose-Binding Protein-Associated Serine Proteases; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D000097604:Ficolins; C109662:FCN3 protein, human