title: The C1q domain containing proteins: Where do they come from and what do they do?
abstract: The gene sequence encoding an N-terminal collagen stalk followed by a globular complement 1q domain (gC1q), an architecture that characterizes the C1q A, B and C chains of the first complement component (C1), did not become prevalent until the cephalochordates and urochordates. However, genes encoding only the globular complement 1q domain (ghC1q) are more ancient as they exist within many lower vertebrate and invertebrate genomes, and are even present in the prokaryotes. These genes can be divided into two groups, the first, which appears to be the more ancient form, encodes proteins that are not secreted (cghC1q). The second group encodes proteins in which the globular domain is preceded by a signal peptide indicating secretion (sghC1q). In this review we examine bioinformatic evidence for C1q domain containing (C1qDC) genes in many organisms and integrate these observations with research performed and published on the biochemistry and functions of this fascinating set of proteins.
authors.affiliation: Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0212, La Jolla, CA 92037, United States. tcarland@ucsd.edu
authors.forename: Tristan M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Carland
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gerwick
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D012634:Bodily Secretions; D015922:Complement C1q / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D019295:Computational Biology; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D006801:Humans; D007109:Immunity; D010802:Phylogeny; D017510:Protein Folding; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D015922:Complement C1q