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The Complement System

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Molecular Life Sciences

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Synopsis

The complement system is a central component of innate immunity and plays an important role in pathogen recognition and elimination. The complement system is composed of more than 35 soluble and membrane-bound proteins. Complement proteins are mainly synthesized by liver hepatocytes and circulate throughout the bloodstream. However, both membrane and soluble complement proteins can also be synthesized by peripheral blood leukocytes, such as neutrophils, macrophages, and dendritic cells (DCs). The complement system is an enzymatic cascade of serine proteases, which upon activation form a proteolytic cascade. Complement can be activated via the classical, lectin, and alternative pathway. The classical complement pathway can be activated by both antigen-antibody complexes and nonimmune molecules, such as beta-amyloid, prion protein, and DNA. The lectin pathway is activated by pathogen-specific sugars, such as mannose, fucose, and/or N-acetylglucosamine upon binding to...

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA

    Manuel Galvan

  2. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Indiana University, 1234 Notre Dame Avenue, 46617, South Bend, IN, USA

    Manuel Galvan

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  1. Manuel Galvan
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Correspondence to Manuel Galvan .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA

    Robert D. Wells

  2. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA

    Judith S. Bond

  3. Department of Chemistry Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California The california institute for Quanti, Berkeley, California, USA

    Judith Klinman

  4. Department of Biochemistry, The University of Texas Health Science C, San Antonio, Texas, USA

    Bettie Sue Siler Masters

  5. Dept of Chemistry, University of Richmond, Richmond, Virginia, USA

    Ellis Bell

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Galvan, M. (2014). The Complement System. In: Wells, R., Bond, J., Klinman, J., Masters, B., Bell, E. (eds) Molecular Life Sciences. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6436-5_287-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6436-5_287-1

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  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-6436-5

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