title: Mouse ficolin B has an ability to form complexes with mannose-binding lectin-associated serine proteases and activate complement through the lectin pathway.
abstract: Ficolins are thought to be pathogen-associated-molecular-pattern-(PAMP-) recognition molecules that function to support innate immunity. Like mannose-binding lectins (MBLs), most mammalian ficolins form complexes with MBL-associated serine proteases (MASPs), leading to complement activation via the lectin pathway. However, the ability of murine ficolin B, a homologue of human M-ficolin, to perform this function is still controversial. The results of the present study show that ficolin B in mouse bone marrow is an oligomeric protein. Ficolin B, pulled down using GlcNAc-agarose, contained very low, but detectable, amounts of MASP-2 and small MBL-associated protein (sMAP) and showed detectable C4-deposition activity on immobilized N-acetylglucosamine. These biochemical features of ficolin B were confirmed using recombinant mouse ficolin B produced in CHO cells. Taken together, these results suggest that like other mammalian homologues, murine ficolin B has an ability to exert its function via the lectin pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, 1-Hikarigaoka, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan. yendo@fmu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Endo
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Iwaki
authors.forename: Yumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ishida
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Misao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsushita
authors.forename: Teizo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujita
mesh_terms: D000117:Acetylglucosamine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000737:chemistry; D003181:Complement C4 / Q000378:metabolism; D037582:Complement Pathway, Mannose-Binding Lectin / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D037102:Lectins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D050606:Mannose-Binding Protein-Associated Serine Proteases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D000097604:Ficolins
chemical_list: D000117:Acetylglucosamine; D003181:Complement C4; D037102:Lectins; D050606:Mannose-Binding Protein-Associated Serine Proteases; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D000097604:Ficolins; C491340:MASP-2 protein, mouse