title: New insights into the role of ficolins in the lectin pathway of innate immunity.
abstract: In the innate immune system, a variety of recognition molecules provide the first-line host defense to prevent infection and maintain endogenous homeostasis. Ficolin is a soluble recognition molecule, which senses pathogen-associated molecular patterns on microbes and aberrant sugar structures on self-cells. It consists of a collagen-like stalk and a globular fibrinogen-like domain, the latter binding to carbohydrates such as N-acetylglucosamine. Ficolins have been widely identified in animals from higher invertebrates to mammals. In mammals, ficolins form complexes with mannose-binding lectin-associated serine proteases (MASPs), and ficolin-MASP complexes trigger complement activation via the lectin pathway. Once activated, complement mediates many immune responses including opsonization, phagocytosis, and cytokine production. Although the precise function of each ficolin is still under investigation, accumulating information suggests that ficolins have a crucial role in host defense by recognizing a variety of microorganisms and interacting with effector proteins.
authors: Department of Immunology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan; Radioisotope Research Center, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan.
authors: Yuichi
authors: Y
authors: Endo
authors: Department of Applied Biochemistry, Tokai University, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors: Misao
authors: M
authors: Matsushita
authors: Department of Immunology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan; Fukushima General Hygiene Institute, Fukushima, Japan.
authors: Teizo
authors: T
authors: Fujita
mesh_terms: D000117:Acetylglucosamine / Q000737:chemistry; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000737:chemistry; D003094:Collagen / Q000737:chemistry; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000737:chemistry; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007107:Immune System; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000502:physiology*; D037102:Lectins / Q000502:physiology*; D037601:Mannose-Binding Lectin / Q000737:chemistry; D050606:Mannose-Binding Protein-Associated Serine Proteases / Q000737:chemistry; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010587:Phagocytosis; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D000097604:Ficolins
chemical_list: D000117:Acetylglucosamine; D002241:Carbohydrates; D003094:Collagen; D016207:Cytokines; D005340:Fibrinogen; D037102:Lectins; D037601:Mannose-Binding Lectin; D050606:Mannose-Binding Protein-Associated Serine Proteases; D000097604:Ficolins
keywords: Complement system; Ficolin; Host defense; Innate immunity; Lectin; Lectin pathway