Title : Structure of compstatin in complex with complement component C3c reveals a new mechanism of complement inhibition
Abstract :
- Undesired complement activation is a major cause of tissue injury in various pathological conditions and contributes to several immune complex diseases
- Compstatin , a 13-residue peptide , is an effective inhibitor of the activation of complement component C3 and thus blocks a central and crucial step in the complement cascade
- The precise binding site on C3, the structure in the bound form, and the exact mode of action of compstatin are unknown
- Here we present the crystal structure of compstatin in complex with C3c, a major proteolytic fragment of C3
- The structure reveals that the compstatin-binding site is formed by the macroglobulin (MG) domains 4 and 5
- This binding site is part of the structurally stable MG-ring formed by domains MG 1-6 and is far away from any other known binding site on C3
- Compstatin does not alter the conformation of C3c, whereas compstatin itself undergoes a large conformational change upon binding
- We propose a model in which compstatin sterically hinders the access of the substrate C3 to the convertase complexes, thus blocking complement activation and amplification
- These insights are instrumental for further development of compstatin as a potential therapeutic
Output (sent_index, trigger,
protein,
sugar,
site):
Output(Part-Of) (sent_index,
protein,
site):
*Output_Site_Fusion* (sent_index,
protein,
sugar,
site):