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The TolC family protein of Leptospira is a type I outer membrane efflux protein. Phylogenetic analysis revealed significant sequence conservation among pathogenic Leptospira species (83%-98% identity) compared with intermediate and saprophytic species. Structural modeling indicated a composition of six β-strands and 10 α-helices arranged in two repeats, resembling bacterial outer membrane efflux proteins. Recombinant TolC (rTolC), expressed in a heterologous host and purified via Ni-NTA chromatography, maintained its secondary structural integrity, as verified by circular dichroism spectroscopy. Polyclonal antibodies against rTolC detected native TolC expression in pathogenic Leptospira but not in nonpathogenic ones. Immunoassays and detergent fractionation assays indicated surface localization of TolC. The rTolC's recognition by sera from leptospirosis-infected hosts across species suggests its utility as a diagnostic marker. Notably, rTolC demonstrated binding affinity for various extracellular matrix components, including collagen and chondroitin sulfate A, as well as plasma proteins such as factor H, C3b, and plasminogen, indicating potential roles in tissue adhesion and immune evasion. Functional assays demonstrated that rTolC-bound FH retained cofactor activity for C3b cleavage, highlighting TolC's role in complement regulation. The rTolC protein inhibited both the alternative and the classical pathway-mediated membrane attack complex (MAC) deposition in vitro . Blocking surface-expressed TolC on leptospires using specific antibodies reduced FH acquisition by Leptospira and increased MAC deposition on the spirochete. These findings indicate that TolC contributes to leptospiral virulence by promoting host tissue colonization and evading the immune response, presenting it as a potential target for diagnostic and therapeutic strategies., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

The Gram-negative bacterium Klebsiella pneumoniae is an important human pathogen. Its treatment has been complicated by the emergence of multi-drug resistant strains. The human complement system is an important part of our innate immune response that can directly kill Gram-negative bacteria by assembling membrane attack complex (MAC) pores into the bacterial outer membrane. To resist this attack, Gram-negative bacteria can modify their lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Especially the decoration of the LPS outer core with the O-antigen polysaccharide has been linked to increased bacterial survival in serum, but not studied in detail. In this study, we characterized various clinical Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates and show that expression of the LPS O1-antigen correlates with resistance to complement-mediated killing. Mechanistic data reveal that the O1-antigen does not inhibit C3b deposition and C5 conversion. In contrast, we see more efficient formation of C5a, and deposition of C6 and C9 when an O-antigen is present. Further downstream analyses revealed that the O1-antigen prevents correct insertion and polymerization of the final MAC component C9 into the bacterial membrane. Altogether, we show that the LPS O1-antigen is a key determining factor for complement resistance by K. pneumoniae and provide insights into the molecular basis of O1-mediated MAC evasion., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Human complement factor H (CFH) plays a central role in regulating activated C3b to protect host cells. CFH contain 20 short complement regulator (SCR) domains and eight N-glycosylation sites. The N-terminal SCR domains mediate C3b degradation while the C-terminal CFH domains bind to host cell surfaces to protect these. Our earlier study of Pichia-generated CFH fragments indicated a self-association site at SCR-17/18 that comprises a dimerization site for human factor H. Two N-linked glycans are located on SCR-17 and SCR-18. Here, when we expressed SCR-17/18 without glycans in an Escherichia coli system, analytical ultracentrifugation showed that no dimers were now formed. To investigate this novel finding, full-length CFH and its C-terminal fragments were purified from human plasma and Pichia pastoris respectively, and their glycans were enzymatically removed using PNGase F. Using size-exclusion chromatography, mass spectrometry, and analytical ultracentrifugation, SCR-17/18 from Pichia showed notably less dimer formation without its glycans, confirming that the glycans are necessary for the formation of SCR-17/18 dimers. By surface plasmon resonance, affinity analyses interaction showed decreased binding of deglycosylated full-length CFH to immobilized C3b, showing that CFH glycosylation enhances the key CFH regulation of C3b. We conclude that our study revealed a significant new aspect of CFH regulation based on its glycosylation and its resulting dimerization., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest with the contents of this article., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Pentraxin 3 (PTX3), a long pentraxin and a humoral pattern recognition molecule (PRM), has been demonstrated to be protective against Aspergillus fumigatus, an airborne human fungal pathogen. We explored its mode of interaction with A. fumigatus, and the resulting implications in the host immune response. Here, we demonstrate that PTX3 interacts with A. fumigatus in a morphotype-dependent manner: (a) it recognizes germinating conidia through galactosaminogalactan, a surface exposed cell wall polysaccharide of A. fumigatus, (b) in dormant conidia, surface proteins serve as weak PTX3 ligands, and (c) surfactant protein D (SP-D) and the complement proteins C1q and C3b, the other humoral PRMs, enhance the interaction of PTX3 with dormant conidia. SP-D, C3b or C1q opsonized conidia stimulated human primary immune cells to release pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. However, subsequent binding of PTX3 to SP-D, C1q or C3b opsonized conidia significantly decreased the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines/chemokines. PTX3 opsonized germinating conidia also significantly lowered the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines/chemokines while increasing IL-10 (an anti-inflammatory cytokine) released by immune cells when compared to the unopsonized counterpart. Overall, our study demonstrates that PTX3 recognizes A. fumigatus either directly or by interplaying with other humoral PRMs, thereby restraining detrimental inflammation. Moreover, PTX3 levels were significantly higher in the serum of patients with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) and COVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA), supporting previous observations in IPA patients, and suggesting that it could be a potential panel-biomarker for these pathological conditions caused by A. fumigatus., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Abstract: Excessively activated or dysregulated complement activation may contribute to the pathogenesis of a wide range of human diseases, thus leading to a surge in complement inhibitors. Herein, we developed a human-derived and antibody-like C3b-targeted fusion protein (CRIg-FH-Fc) x2, termed CG001, that could potently block all 3 complement pathways. Complement receptor of the immunoglobulin superfamily (CRIg) and factor H (FH) bind to distinct sites in C3b and synergistically inhibit complement activation. CRIg occupancy in C3b prevents the recruitment of C3 and C5 substrates, whereas FH occupancy in C3b accelerates the decay of C3/C5 convertases and promotes the factor I-mediated degradation and inactivation of C3b. CG001 also showed therapeutic effects in alternative pathways-induced hemolytic mouse and classical pathways-induced mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis rat models. In the pharmacological/toxicological evaluation in rats and cynomolgus monkeys, CG001 displayed an antibody-like pharmacokinetic profile, a convincing complement inhibitory effect, and no observable toxic effects. Therefore, CG001 holds substantial potential for human clinical studies., (© 2024 by The American Society of Hematology. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), permitting only noncommercial, nonderivative use with attribution. All other rights reserved.)

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is a rare disease characterized by complement-mediated hemolysis and potentially life-threatening complications. Pegcetacoplan, an inhibitor of complement components C3 and C3b, was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA) in 2021. A recent expansion to its indication by the EMA has made pegcetacoplan available for the treatment of both complement inhibitor-naïve and -experienced patients with PNH who have hemolytic anemia, a similarly broad patient population as in the US. This approval was based on results from the Phase 3 PEGASUS study, where pegcetacoplan showed superiority over the C5 inhibitor eculizumab with regard to improving the hemoglobin level in patients with anemia despite eculizumab treatment, and the Phase 3 PRINCE study, where pegcetacoplan showed superiority over supportive care with regard to hemoglobin stabilization and improving the lactate dehydrogenase level in complement inhibitor-naïve patients. In light of this recent indication expansion by the EMA, this article describes how the strong efficacy of pegcetacoplan is linked to its mechanism of action, which provides broad hemolysis control over both intravascular and extravascular hemolysis to improve a range of disease markers and enhance patients' quality of life. Furthermore, additional data and learnings obtained from over 3 years of experience with pegcetacoplan are summarized, including long-term efficacy and safety results, real-world clinical experiences, pharmacokinetic characteristics, and extensive practical guidance for the first-to-market proximal complement inhibitor for PNH.

The complement system plays a critical role in the innate immune response, acting as a first line of defense against invading pathogens. However, dysregulation of the complement system is implicated in the pathogenesis of numerous diseases, ranging from Alzheimer's to age-related macular degeneration and rare blood disorders. As such, complement inhibitors have enormous potential to alleviate disease burden. While a few complement inhibitors are in clinical use, there is still a significant unmet medical need for the discovery and development of novel inhibitors to treat patients suffering from disorders of the complement system. A key hurdle in the development of complement inhibitors has been the determination of their mechanism of action. Progression along the complement cascade involves the formation of numerous multimeric protein complexes, creating the potential for inhibitors to act at multiple nodes in the pathway. This is especially true for molecules that target the central component C3 and its fragment C3b, which serve a dual role as a substrate for the C3 convertases and as a scaffolding protein in both the C3 and C5 convertases. Here, we report a step-by-step in vitro reconstitution of the complement alternative pathway using bio-layer interferometry. By physically uncoupling each step in the pathway, we were able to determine the kinetic signature of inhibitors that act at single steps in the pathway and delineate the full mechanism of action of known and novel C3 inhibitors. The method could have utility in drug discovery and further elucidating the biochemistry of the complement system., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Complement receptor 1 (CR1) is a membrane glycoprotein with a highly duplicated domain structure able to bind multiple ligands such as C3b and C4b, the activated fragments of complement components C3 and C4, respectively. We have previously used our knowledge of this domain structure to identify CSL040, a soluble extracellular fragment of CR1 containing the long homologous repeat (LHR) domains A, B, and C. CSL040 retains the ability to bind both C3b and C4b but is also a more potent complement inhibitor than other recombinant CR1-based therapeutics. To generate soluble CR1 variants with increased inhibitory potential across all three complement pathways, or variants with activity skewed to specific pathways, we exploited the domain structure of CR1 further by generating LHR domain duplications. We identified LHR-ABCC, a soluble CR1 variant containing a duplicated C3b-binding C-terminal LHR-C domain that exhibited significantly enhanced alternative pathway inhibitory activity in vitro compared to CSL040. Another variant, LHR-BBCC, containing duplications of both LHR-B and LHR-C with four C3b binding sites, was shown to have reduced classical/lectin pathway inhibitory activity compared to CSL040, but comparable alternative pathway activity. Interestingly, multiplication of the C4b-binding LHR-A domain resulted in only minor increases in classical/lectin pathway inhibitory activity. The CR1 duplication variants characterized in these in vitro potency assays, as well as in affinity in solution C3b and C4b binding assays, not only provides an opportunity to identify new therapeutic molecules but also additional mechanistic insights to the multiple interactions between CR1 and C3b/C4b., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest S. W., A. B. M., T. R., and M. P. H. are listed as inventors on International Patent Publication number WO2019/218009. All authors are CSL shareholders., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Rare variants (RVs) in the gene encoding the regulatory enzyme complement factor I (CFI; FI) that reduce protein function or levels increase age-related macular degeneration risk. A total of 3357 subjects underwent screening in the SCOPE natural history study for geographic atrophy secondary to age-related macular degeneration, including CFI sequencing and serum FI measurement. Eleven CFI RV genotypes that were challenging to categorize as type I (low serum level) or type II (normal serum level, reduced enzymatic function) were characterized in the context of pure FI protein in C3b and C4b fluid phase cleavage assays and a novel bead-based functional assay (BBFA) of C3b cleavage. Four variants predicted or previously characterized as benign were analyzed by BBFA for comparison. In all, three variants (W51S, C67R, and I370T) resulted in low expression. Furthermore, four variants (P64L, R339Q, G527V, and P528T) were identified as being highly deleterious with IC50s for C3b breakdown >1 log increased versus the WT protein, while two variants (K476E and R474Q) were ∼1 log reduced in function. Meanwhile, six variants (P50A, T203I, K441R, E548Q, P553S, and S570T) had IC50s similar to WT. Odds ratios and BBFA IC50s were positively correlated (r = 0.76, p < 0.01), while odds ratios versus combined annotation dependent depletion (CADD) scores were not (r = 0.43, p = 0.16). Overall, 15 CFI RVs were functionally characterized which may aid future patient stratification for complement-targeted therapies. Pure protein in vitro analysis remains the gold standard for determining the functional consequence of CFI RVs., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest D. K.: Gyroscope Therapeutics (consultancy, equity, grant income), Novartis (consultancy), Alexion Pharmaceuticals (consultancy), Apellis (consultancy); Sarepta (consultancy), Chemocentryx (Consultancy), Sobi (consultancy), Samsung (consultancy), Purespring (consultancy), Roche (consultancy); C. L. H: Q32 Bio (consultancy), Gyroscope Therapeutics (Consultancy), Novartis (employee), Ra Pharmaceuticals (Grant income), Biocryst (consultancy); K. J. M: Qualasept (consultancy), Freeline Therapeutics (consultancy), Catalyst Biosciences (grant income, consultancy), Idorsia Pharmaceuticals (grant income), Gemini Therapeutics (grant income, consultancy), Alexion Pharmaceuticals (grant income, consultancy); T. M. H.: Gyroscope Therapeutics, Novartis (employee); S. J. S.: Gyroscope Therapeutics, Novartis (employee); E. G.: Gyroscope Therapeutics, Novartis (employee); A. D.: Gyroscope Therapeutics, Novartis, Beacon Therapeutics (employee); A. V. J.: Gyroscope Therapeutics, Novartis (employee); A. L.: Gyroscope Therapeutics (consultancy, equity), Roche (consultancy), Apellis (consultancy), Novartis (consultancy)., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Salivary complement inhibitors occur in many of the blood feeding arthropod species responsible for transmission of pathogens. During feeding, these inhibitors prevent the production of proinflammatory anaphylatoxins, which may interfere with feeding, and limit formation of the membrane attack complex which could damage arthropod gut tissues. Salivary inhibitors are, in many cases, novel proteins which may be pharmaceutically useful or display unusual mechanisms that could be exploited pharmaceutically. Albicin is a potent inhibitor of the alternative pathway of complement from the saliva of the malaria transmitting mosquito, Anopheles albimanus. Here we describe the cryo-EM structure of albicin bound to C3bBb, the alternative C3 convertase, a proteolytic complex that is responsible for cleavage of C3 and amplification of the complement response. Albicin is shown to induce dimerization of C3bBb, in a manner similar to the bacterial inhibitor SCIN, to form an inactive complex unable to bind the substrate C3. Size exclusion chromatography and structures determined after 30 minutes of incubation of C3b, factor B (FB), factor D (FD) and albicin indicate that FBb dissociates from the inhibited dimeric complex leaving a C3b-albicin dimeric complex which apparently decays more slowly., (© 2024. This is a U.S. Government work and not under copyright protection in the US; foreign copyright protection may apply.)

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease with a characteristic isomorphic reaction, i.e. the Köbner reaction, induced by slight epidermal trauma. In this study, the tape-stripping technique was used to induce the development of Köbner reaction in 18 subjects with psoriasis. Eight subjects developed a positive reaction. To study the early cellular changes, skin biopsies were taken at the baseline and subsequent time points of 2 h, 1 d, 3 d, and 7 d for the immunostaining of complement C3c, iC3b, and cells expressing complement receptor 3 (CD11b/CD18; a receptor of iC3b) or CD14. The results show that the positive Köbner reaction is associated with rapid (2 h-1 d) and sustained (3-7 d) increase in the expression of epidermal C3c and iC3b and dermal C3c. In addition, there was a positive correlation between CD11b+ and CD14+ cells in baseline and 2 h-1 d biopsies with a subsequent increase in CD11b+ and CD14+ cells in 3-7 d biopsies in the Köbner-positive group. In the Köbner-negative group, only a transient increase in epidermal iC3b at 2 h-1 d, as well as rapid (2 h-1 d) and sustained increase (3-7 d) in dermal iC3b and CD14+ cells, was observed. In experiments with cultured monolayer keratinocytes, a slight cell damage already at 30 mJ/cm2 ultraviolet B irradiation led to increased expression of C3c, but not iC3b. Therefore, there are marked differences between Köbner groups in respect to the expression of C3c, iC3b, and cells expressing CD11b or CD14. Of note is the rapid and sustained increase in epidermal C3c and iC3b in the positive Köbner reaction., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Immunology.)

African trypanosomes replicate within infected mammals where they are exposed to the complement system. This system centres around complement C3, which is present in a soluble form in serum but becomes covalently deposited onto the surfaces of pathogens after proteolytic cleavage to C3b. Membrane-associated C3b triggers different complement-mediated effectors which promote pathogen clearance. To counter complement-mediated clearance, African trypanosomes have a cell surface receptor, ISG65, which binds to C3b and which decreases the rate of trypanosome clearance in an infection model. However, the mechanism by which ISG65 reduces C3b function has not been determined. We reveal through cryogenic electron microscopy that ISG65 has two distinct binding sites for C3b, only one of which is available in C3 and C3d. We show that ISG65 does not block the formation of C3b or the function of the C3 convertase which catalyses the surface deposition of C3b. However, we show that ISG65 forms a specific conjugate with C3b, perhaps acting as a decoy. ISG65 also occludes the binding sites for complement receptors 2 and 3, which may disrupt recruitment of immune cells, including B cells, phagocytes, and granulocytes. This suggests that ISG65 protects trypanosomes by combining multiple approaches to dampen the complement cascade., Competing Interests: AC, MC, MH No competing interests declared, (© 2023, Cook et al.)

Factor I (FI) is an essential regulator of the complement system. Together with co-factors, FI degrades C3b, which inhibits further complement activation. Genetic mutations in FI are associated with pathological conditions like age-related macular degeneration and atypical hemolytic uremic syndome. Here, we evaluated eight recombinant FI genetic variants found in patients. We assessed FI's co-factor activity in the presence of two co-factors; Factor H and soluble CR1. Different analytical assays were employed; SDS-PAGE to evaluate the degradation of C3b, ELISA to measure the generation of fluid phase iC3b and the degradation of surface-bound C3b using a novel Luminex bead-based assay. We demonstrate that mutations in the FIMAC and SP domains of FI led to significantly reduced protease activity, whereas the two analyzed mutations in the LDLRA2 domain did not result in any profound changes in FI's function. The different assays employed displayed a strong positive correlation, but differences in the activity of the genetic variants Ile55Phe and Gly261Asp could only be observed by combining different methods and co-factors for evaluating FI activity. In conclusion, our results provide a new perspective regarding available diagnostic tools for assessing the impact of mutations in FI., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Gerogianni, Baas, Sjöström, van de Kar, Pullen, van de Peppel, Nilsson and van den Heuvel.)

Trypanosomes are known to activate the complement system on their surface, but they control the cascade in a manner such that the cascade does not progress into the terminal pathway. It was recently reported that the invariant surface glycoprotein ISG65 from Trypanosoma brucei interacts reversibly with complement C3 and its degradation products, but the molecular mechanism by which ISG65 interferes with complement activation remains unknown. In this study, we show that ISG65 does not interfere directly with the assembly or activity of the two C3 convertases. However, ISG65 acts as a potent inhibitor of C3 deposition through the alternative pathway in human and murine serum. Degradation assays demonstrate that ISG65 stimulates the C3b to iC3b converting activity of complement factor I in the presence of the cofactors factor H or complement receptor 1. A structure-based model suggests that ISG65 promotes a C3b conformation susceptible to degradation or directly bridges factor I and C3b without contact with the cofactor. In addition, ISG65 is observed to form a stable ternary complex with the ligand binding domain of complement receptor 3 and iC3b. Our data suggest that ISG65 supports trypanosome complement evasion by accelerating the conversion of C3b to iC3b through a unique mechanism., (Copyright © 2023 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.)

CR3 (CD11b/CD18; αmβ2 integrin) is a conserved phagocytic receptor. The active conformation of CR3 binds the iC3b fragment of complement C3 as well as many host and microbial ligands, leading to actin-dependent phagocytosis. There are conflicting reports about how CR3 engagement affects the fate of phagocytosed substrates. Using imaging flow cytometry, we confirmed that binding and internalization of iC3b-opsonized polystyrene beads by primary human neutrophils was CR3-dependent. iC3b-opsonized beads did not stimulate neutrophil reactive oxygen species, and most beads were found in primary granule-negative phagosomes. Similarly, Neisseria gonorrhoeae that does not express phase-variable Opa proteins suppresses neutrophil reactive oxygen species and delays phagolysosome formation. Here, binding and internalization of Opa-deleted (Δopa) N. gonorrhoeae by adherent human neutrophils was inhibited using blocking antibodies against CR3 and by adding neutrophil inhibitory factor, which targets the CD11b I-domain. No detectable C3 was deposited on N. gonorrhoeae in the presence of neutrophils alone. Conversely, overexpressing CD11b in HL-60 promyelocytes enhanced Δopa N. gonorrhoeae phagocytosis, which required the CD11b I-domain. Phagocytosis of N. gonorrhoeae was also inhibited in mouse neutrophils that were CD11b-deficient or treated with anti-CD11b. Phorbol ester treatment upregulated surface CR3 on neutrophils in suspension, enabling CR3-dependent phagocytosis of Δopa N. gonorrhoeae. Neutrophils exposed to Δopa N. gonorrhoeae had limited phosphorylation of Erk1/2, p38, and JNK. Neutrophil phagocytosis of unopsonized Mycobacterium smegmatis, which also resides in immature phagosomes, was CR3-dependent and did not elicit reactive oxygen species. We suggest that CR3-mediated phagocytosis is a silent mode of entry into neutrophils, which is appropriated by diverse pathogens to subvert phagocytic killing., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Society for Leukocyte Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a life-threatening disorder with a high rate of mortality. Complement activation in ARDS initiates a robust inflammatory reaction that can cause progressive endothelial injury in the lung. Here, we tested whether inhibition of the lectin pathway of complement could reduce the pathology and improve the outcomes in a murine model of LPS-induced lung injury that closely mimics ARDS in human. In vitro , LPS binds to murine and human collectin 11, human MBL and murine MBL-A, but not to C1q, the recognition subcomponent of the classical pathway. This binding initiates deposition of the complement activation products C3b, C4b and C5b-9 on LPS via the lectin pathway. HG-4, a monoclonal antibody that targets MASP-2, a key enzyme in the lectin pathway, inhibited lectin pathway functional activity in vitro , with an IC 50 of circa 10nM. Administration of HG4 (5mg/kg) in mice led to almost complete inhibition of the lectin pathway activation for 48hrs, and 50% inhibition at 60hrs post administration. Inhibition of the lectin pathway in mice prior to LPS-induced lung injury improved all pathological markers tested. HG4 reduces the protein concentration in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (p<0.0001) and levels of myeloid peroxide (p<0.0001), LDH (p<0.0001), TNFα and IL6 (both p<0.0001). Lung injury was significantly reduced (p<0.001) and the survival time of the mice increased (p<0.01). From the previous findings we concluded that inhibition of the lectin pathway has the potential to prevent ARDS pathology., Competing Interests: WS, NL, and YA are consultants to Omeros Inc., which is developing inhibitors of the LP. GD, TD, MY, and SY are employed by Omeros Inc., Seattle, USA. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Ali, Lynch, Shaaban, Rizk, Abdel-Rahman, Khatri, Yabuki, Yaseen, Dudler, Demopulos and Schwaeble.)

Aims: To use experimental periodontitis models in rats to investigate the correlation between local expression of the complement components C3b and C4b in periodontal tissues and disease severity, and to assess the therapeutic effects of targeting C3b/C4b on inflammatory bone loss., Materials and Methods: The gingival expression of C3, C3b, and C4b in animal experimental periodontitis models were analysed immunohistochemically. The therapeutic effects of the C3b/C4b inhibitor (SB002) on ligation-induced experimental periodontitis was examined using biochemical, histological, and immunohistochemical analyses., Results: The gingival expression levels of C3, C3b, and C4b were positively correlated with the severity of periodontitis. Moreover, both single and multiple injections of the C3b/C4b inhibitor had preventive and therapeutic effects on alveolar bone loss in ligation-induced experimental periodontitis with no associated adverse consequences., Conclusions: The association between C3b/C4b and periodontitis may provide a basis for the development of novel therapeutic strategies for periodontitis and other inflammatory diseases., (© 2023 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Defective regulation of the alternative complement pathway (AP) causes excessive activation and promotes the inflammation and renal injury observed in atypical hemolytic-uremic syndrome (aHUS). The usefulness of heat-inactivated Factor B (HFB) in reducing AP activation was evaluated in: fluid-phase reactions, using purified complement proteins and Factor H (FH)-depleted serum; and in surface-activated reactions using human endothelial cells (ECs). C3a and Ba levels, measured by quantitative Western blots, determined the extent of fluid-phase activation. In reactions using C3, FB, and Factor D proteins, HFB addition (2.5-fold FB levels), reduced C3a levels by 60% and Ba levels by 45%. In reactions using FH-depleted serum (supplemented with FH at 12.5% normal levels), Ba levels were reduced by 40% with HFB added at 3.5-fold FB levels. The effectiveness of HFB in limiting AP convertase formation on activated surfaces was evaluated using stimulated ECs. Fluorescent microscopy was used to quantify endogenously released C3, FB, and C5 attached to EC-secreted ultra-large VWF strings. HFB addition reduced attachment of C3b by 2.7-fold, FB by 1.5-fold and C5 by fourfold. Our data indicate that HFB may be of therapeutic value in preventing AP-mediated generation of C3a and C5a, and the associated inflammation caused by an overactive AP., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Hyperactivation of the complement system, a major component of innate immunity, has been recognized as one of the core clinical features in severe covid-19 patients. However, how the virus escapes the targeted elimination by the network of activated complement pathways still remains an enigma. Here, we identified SARS-CoV-2-encoded ORF8 protein as one of the major binding partners of human complement C3/C3b components and their metabolites. Our results demonstrated that preincubation of ORF8 with C3/C3b in the fluid phase has two immediate functional consequences in the alternative pathway; this preincubation inhibits factor I-mediated proteolysis and blocks factor B zymogen activation into active Bb. ORF8 binding results in the occlusion of both factor H and factor B from C3b, rendering the complexes resistant to factor I-mediated proteolysis and inhibition of pro-C3-convertase (C3bB) formation, respectively. We also confirmed the complement inhibitory activity of ORF8 in our hemolysis-based assay, where ORF8 prevented human serum-induced lysis of rabbit erythrocytes with an IC 50 value of about 2.3 μM. This inhibitory characteristic of ORF8 was also supported by in-silico protein-protein docking analysis, as it appeared to establish primary interactions with the β-chain of C3b, orienting itself near the C3b CUB (C1r/C1s, Uegf, Bmp1) domain like a peptidomimetic compound, sterically hindering the binding of essential cofactors required for complement amplification. Thus, ORF8 has characteristics to act as an inhibitor of critical regulatory steps in the alternative pathway, converging to hasten the decay of C3-convertase and thereby, attenuating the complement amplification loop., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest with the contents of this article., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Ail confers serum resistance in humans and is a critical virulence factor of Y. pestis, the causative agent of plague. Here, the contribution of Ail for Y. pestis survival in the flea vector was examined. Rat or human but not mouse sera were bactericidal against a Y. pestis Δ ail mutant at 28°C in vitro . Complement components deposited rapidly on the Y. pestis surface as measured by immunofluorescent microscopy. Ail reduced the amount of active C3b on the Y. pestis surface. Human sera retained bactericidal activity against a Y. pestis Δ ail mutant in the presence of mouse sera. However, in the flea vector, the serum protective properties of Ail were not required. Flea colonization studies using murine sera and Y. pestis KIM6 + wild type, a Δ ail mutant, and the Δ ail/ail + control showed no differences in bacterial prevalence or numbers during the early stage of flea colonization. Similarly, flea studies with human blood showed Ail was not required for serum resistance. Finally, a variant of Ail (Ail F100V E108&#95;S109insS ) from a human serum-sensitive Y. pestis subsp. microtus bv. Caucasica 1146 conferred resistance to human complement when expressed in the Y. pestis KIM6 + Δ ail mutant. This indicated that Ail activity was somehow blocked, most likely by lipooligosaccharide, in this serum sensitive strain. IMPORTANCE This work contributes to our understanding of how highly virulent Y. pestis evolved from its innocuous enteric predecessor. Among identified virulence factors is the attachment invasion locus protein, Ail, that is required to protect Y. pestis from serum complement in all mammals tested except mice. Murine sera is not bactericidal. In this study, we asked, is bactericidal sera from humans active in Y. pestis colonized fleas? We found it was not. The importance of this observation is that it identifies a protective niche for the growth of serum sensitive and nonsensitive Y. pestis strains.

The complement system provides vital immune protection against infectious agents by labeling them with complement fragments that enhance phagocytosis by immune cells. Many details of complement-mediated phagocytosis remain elusive, partly because it is difficult to study the role of individual complement proteins on target surfaces. Here, we employ serum-free methods to couple purified complement C3b onto E. coli bacteria and beads and then expose human neutrophils to these C3b-coated targets. We examine the neutrophil response using a combination of flow cytometry, confocal microscopy, luminometry, single-live-cell/single-target manipulation, and dynamic analysis of neutrophil spreading on opsonin-coated surfaces. We show that purified C3b can potently trigger phagocytosis and killing of bacterial cells via Complement receptor 1. Comparison of neutrophil phagocytosis of C3b- versus antibody-coated beads with single-bead/single-target analysis exposes a similar cell morphology during engulfment. However, bulk phagocytosis assays of C3b-beads combined with DNA-based quenching reveal that these are poorly internalized compared to their IgG1 counterparts. Similarly, neutrophils spread slower on C3b-coated compared to IgG-coated surfaces. These observations support the requirement of multiple stimulations for efficient C3b-mediated uptake. Together, our results establish the existence of a direct pathway of phagocytic uptake of C3b-coated targets and present methodologies to study this process., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

C3 is the central effector molecule of the complement system, mediating its multiple functions through different binding sites and their corresponding receptors. We will introduce the C3 forms (native C3, C3 [H 2 O], and intracellular C3), the C3 fragments C3a, C3b, iC3b, and C3dg/C3d, and the C3 expression sites. To highlight the important role that C3 plays in human biological processes, we will give an overview of the diseases linked to C3 deficiency and to uncontrolled C3 activation. Next, we will present a structural description of C3 activation and of the C3 fragments generated by complement regulation. We will proceed by describing the C3a interaction with the anaphylatoxin receptor, followed by the interactions of opsonins (C3b, iC3b, and C3dg/C3d) with complement receptors, divided into two groups: receptors bearing complement regulatory functions and the effector receptors without complement regulatory activity. We outline the molecular architecture of the receptors, their binding sites on the C3 activation fragments, the cells expressing them, the diversity of their functions, and recent advances. With this review, we aim to give an up-to-date analysis of the processes triggered by C3 activation fragments on different cell types in health and disease contexts., (© 2022 The Authors. Immunological Reviews published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Candida, as a part of the human microbiota, can cause opportunistic infections that are either localised or systemic candidiasis. Emerging resistance to the standard antifungal drugs is associated with increased mortality rate due to invasive Candida infections, particularly in immunocompromised patients. While there are several species of Candida, an increasing number of Candida tropicalis isolates have been recently reported from patients with invasive candidiasis or inflammatory bowel diseases. In order to establish infections, C. tropicalis has to adopt several strategies to escape the host immune attack. Understanding the immune evasion strategies is of great importance as these can be exploited as novel therapeutic targets. C. albicans pH-related antigen 1 (CaPra1), a surface bound and secretory protein, has been found to interact strongly with the immune system and help in complement evasion. However, the role of C. tropicalis Pra1 (CtPra1) and its interaction with the complement is not studied yet. Thus, we characterised how pH-related antigen 1 of C. tropicalis (CtPra1) interacts with some of the key complement proteins of the innate immune system. CtPra1 was recombinantly produced using a Kluyveromyces lactis yeast expression system. Recombinant CtPra1, was found to bind human C3 and C3b, central molecules of the complement pathways that are important components of the innate immune system. It was also found to bind human complement regulatory proteins factor-H and C4b-binding protein (C4BP). CtPra1-factor-H and CtPra1-C4BP interactions were found to be ionic in nature as the binding intensity affected by high sodium chloride concentrations. CtPra1 inhibited functional complement activation with different effects on classical (∼20 %), lectin (∼25 %) and alternative (∼30 %) pathways. qPCR experiments using C. tropicalis clinical isolates (oral, blood and peritoneal fluid) revealed relatively higher levels of expression of CtPra1 gene when compared to the reference strain. Native CtPra1 was found to be expressed both as membrane-bound and secretory forms in the clinical isolates. Thus, C. tropicalis appears to be a master of immune evasion by using Pra1 protein. Further investigation using in-vivo models will help ascertain if these proteins can be novel therapeutic targets., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

The alternative pathway (AP) is the phylogenetically oldest arm of the complement system and may have evolved to mark pathogens for elimination by phagocytes. Studies using purified AP proteins or AP-specific serum showed that C3b amplification on bacteria commenced following a lag phase of about 5 min and was highly dependent on the concentration of complement. Most pathogens have evolved several elegant mechanisms to evade complement, including expressing proteases that degrade AP proteins and secreting proteins that block function of C3 convertases. In an example of convergent evolution, many microbes recruit the AP inhibitor factor H (FH) using molecular mechanisms that mimic FH interactions with host cells. In most instances, the AP serves to amplify C3b deposited on microbes by the classical pathway (CP). The role of properdin on microbes appears to be restricted to stabilization of C3 convertases; scant evidence exists for its role as an initiator of the AP on pathogens in the context of serum. Therapeutic complement inhibition carries with it an increased risk of infection. Antibody (Ab)-dependent AP activation may be critical for complement activation by vaccine-elicited Ab when the CP is blocked, and its molecular mechanism is discussed., (© 2022 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The use of biomaterials in modern medicine has enabled advanced drug delivery strategies and led to reduced morbidity and mortality in a variety of interventions such as transplantation or hemodialysis. However, immune-mediated reactions still present a serious complication of these applications. One of the drivers of such reactions is the complement system, a central part of humoral innate immunity that acts as a first-in-line defense system in its own right but also coordinates other host defense responses. A major regulator of the complement system is the abundant plasma protein factor H (FH), which impairs the amplification of complement responses. Previously, we could show that it is possible to recruit FH to biomedical surfaces using the phage display-derived cyclic peptide 5C6 and, consequently, reduce deposition of C3b, an activation product of the complement system. However, the optimal orientation of 5C6 on surfaces, structural determinants within the peptide for the binding, and the exact binding region on FH remained unknown. Here, we show that the cyclic core and C-terminal region of 5C6 are essential for its interaction with FH and that coating through its N-terminus strongly increases FH recruitment and reduces C3-mediated opsonization in a microparticle-based assay. Furthermore, we could demonstrate that 5C6 selectively binds to FH but not to related proteins. The observation that 5C6 also binds murine FH raises the potential for translational evaluation in animal models. This work provides important insight for the future development of 5C6 as a probe or therapeutic entity to reduce complement activation on biomaterials. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Biomaterials have evolved into core technologies critical to biomedical and drug delivery applications alike, yet their safe and efficient use may be adversely impacted by immune responses to the foreign materials. Taking inspiration from microbial immune evasion strategies, our group developed a peptide-based surface coating that recruits factor H (FH), a host regulator of the complement system, from plasma to the material surface and prevents unwanted activation of this innate immunity pathway. In this study, we identified the molecular determinants that define the interaction between FH and the coated peptide, developed tethering strategies with largely enhanced binding capacity and provided important insight into the target selectivity and species specificity of the FH-binding peptide, thereby paving the way for preclinical development steps., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest DR, JDL, CQS and RBP are co-inventors of patents describing complement inhibitors and their therapeutic use. JDL is the inventor of the 5C6 and compstatin technologies and the founder of Amyndas Pharmaceuticals, which has licensed both technologies. The other authors do not report conflicts of interest in the context of this study., (Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The evolutionary history of complement suggests that the alternative pathway arose prior to the arrival of the classical and lectin pathways. In these pathways, target specificity is provided by antibodies and sugar specific lectins. While these efficient initiation systems dominate activation on most targets, the alternative pathway produces most of the C3b and 80%-90% of the C5b-9. While the tickover process, originally proposed by Peter Lachmann, provided ancient hosts with a crude self/non-self-discriminatory system that initiated complement attack on everything foreign, tickover clearly plays a more minor role in complement activation in modern organisms possessing classical and lectin pathways. Spontaneous activation of the alternative pathway via tickover may play a major role in human pathologies where tissue damage is complement-mediated. The molecular mechanism of tickover is still not convincingly proven. Prevailing hypotheses include (a) spontaneous hydrolysis of the thioester in C3 forming the C3b-like C3(H 2 O) in solution and (b) "enhanced tickover" in which surfaces cause specific or non-specific contact activated conformational changes in C3. Theoretical considerations, including computer simulations, suggest that the latter mechanism is more likely and that more research needs to be devoted to understanding interactions between biological surfaces and C3., (© 2022 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Flow cytometry is a powerful tool that can be used to study protozoan parasite interactions with the complement system. We developed a flow cytometric assay to measure the deposition of complement activation product C3b and to assess resistance to complement-mediated lysis. This assay involves exposing cultured parasites to human serum (the source of human complement) and staining parasites with antibodies against complement proteins to detect and quantify complement components on the parasite surface by flow cytometry. The assay can be used to compare complement activation across a variety of different species of protozoan parasites. As a proof of concept, we describe protocols to study C3 deposition on the single-cell protist Toxoplasma gondii. This parasite actively regulates C3 deposition and proteolytic inactivation to eliminate the formation of lytic pores targeted to the parasite surface coat, which is the end-product of the complement cascade. The antibodies used in this assay recognize both active and inactive forms of C3 deposited on parasite surfaces. Hence, the assay facilitates the identification and characterization of parasite resistance factors that regulate complement deposition and catabolic inactivation. © Published 2022. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA. Basic Protocol 1: Culturing human foreskin fibroblasts and Toxoplasma gondii strains Basic Protocol 2: In vitro complement activation assay Support Protocol: Screening of normal human serum Basic Protocol 3: Flow cytometric analysis of C3b deposition., (© Published 2022. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.)

While angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) regulates blood pressure by producing angiotensin II as part of the renin-angiotensin system, we recently reported that elevated ACE in neutrophils promotes an effective immune response and increases resistance to infection. Here, we investigate if such neutrophils protect against renal injury in immune complex (IC)-mediated crescentic glomerulonephritis (GN) through complement. Nephrotoxic serum nephritis (NTN) was induced in wild-type and NeuACE mice that overexpress ACE in neutrophils. Glomerular injury of NTN in NeuACE mice was attenuated with much less proteinuria, milder histological injury, and reduced IC deposits, but presented with more glomerular neutrophils in the early stage of the disease. There were no significant defects in T and B cell functions in NeuACE mice. NeuACE neutrophils exhibited enhanced IC uptake with elevated surface expression of FcγRII/III and complement receptor CR1/2. IC uptake in neutrophils was enhanced by NeuACE serum containing elevated complement C3b. Given no significant complement activation by ACE, this suggests that neutrophil ACE indirectly preactivates C3 and that the C3b-CR1/2 axis and elevated FcγRII/III play a central role in IC elimination by neutrophils, resulting in reduced glomerular injury. The present study identified a novel renoprotective role of ACE in glomerulonephritis; elevated neutrophilic ACE promotes elimination of locally formed ICs in glomeruli via C3b-CR1/2 and FcγRII/III, ameliorating glomerular injury. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We studied immune complex (IC)-mediated crescentic glomerulonephritis in NeuACE mice that overexpress ACE only in neutrophils. Such mice show no significant defects in humoral immunity but strongly resist nephrotoxic serum nephritis (less proteinuria, milder histological damage, reduced IC deposits, and more glomerular neutrophils). NeuACE neutrophils enhanced IC uptake via increased surface expression of CR1/2 and FcgRII/III, as well as elevated serum complement C3b. These results suggest neutrophil ACE as a novel approach to reducing glomerulonephritis.

The integrin receptor α M β 2 mediates phagocytosis of complement-opsonized objects, adhesion to the extracellular matrix, and transendothelial migration of leukocytes. However, the mechanistic aspects of α M β 2 signaling upon ligand binding are unclear. Here, we present the first atomic structure of the human α M β 2 headpiece fragment in complex with the nanobody (Nb) hCD11bNb1 at a resolution of 3.2 Å. We show that the receptor headpiece adopts the closed conformation expected to exhibit low ligand affinity. The crystal structure indicates that in the R77H α M variant, associated with systemic lupus erythematosus, the modified allosteric relationship between ligand binding and integrin outside-inside signaling is due to subtle conformational effects transmitted over a distance of 40 Å. Furthermore, we found the Nb binds to the αI domain of the α M subunit in an Mg 2+ -independent manner with low nanomolar affinity. Biochemical and biophysical experiments with purified proteins demonstrated that the Nb acts as a competitive inhibitor through steric hindrance exerted on the thioester domain of complement component iC3b attempting to bind the α M subunit. Surprisingly, we show that the Nb stimulates the interaction of cell-bound α M β 2 with iC3b, suggesting that it may represent a novel high-affinity proteinaceous α M β 2 -specific agonist. Taken together, our data suggest that the iC3b-α M β 2 complex may be more dynamic than predicted from the crystal structure of the core complex. We propose a model based on the conformational spectrum of the receptor to reconcile these observations regarding the functional consequences of hCD11bNb1 binding to α M β 2 ., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest with the contents of this article., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The complement system is a part of the innate immune system, where it labels intruding pathogens as well as dying host cells for clearance. If complement regulation is compromised, the system may contribute to pathogenesis. The proteolytic fragment C3b of complement component C3, is the pivot point of the complement system and provides a scaffold for the assembly of the alternative pathway C3 convertase that greatly amplifies the initial complement activation. This makes C3b an attractive therapeutic target. We previously described a nanobody, hC3Nb1 binding to C3 and its degradation products. Here we show, that extending the N-terminus of hC3Nb1 by a Glu-Trp-Glu motif renders the resulting EWE-hC3Nb1 (EWE) nanobody specific for C3 degradation products. By fusing EWE to N-terminal CCP domains from complement Factor H (FH), we generated the fusion proteins EWEnH and EWEµH. In contrast to EWE, these fusion proteins supported Factor I (FI)-mediated cleavage of human and rat C3b. The EWE, EWEµH, and EWEnH proteins bound C3b and iC3b with low nanomolar dissociation constants and exerted strong inhibition of alternative pathway-mediated deposition of complement. Interestingly, EWEnH remained soluble above 20 mg/mL. Combined with the observed reactivity with both human and rat C3b as well as the ability to support FI-mediated cleavage of C3b, this features EWEnH as a promising candidate for in vivo studies in rodent models of complement driven pathogenesis., Competing Interests: Authors HP, RJ, NL, ST and GA are listed as inventors on a patent describing the use of EWE, hC3Nb2 and hC3Nb3. Authors HP, RJ, NL and GA have filed the patent application P6053EP00 for the use of EWEµH and EWEnH. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Pedersen, Jensen, Hansen, Petersen, Thiel, Laursen and Andersen.)

The complement system is required for innate immunity against Acinetobacter baumannii , an important cause of antibiotic resistant systemic infections. A. baumannii strains differ in their susceptibility to the membrane attack complex (MAC) formed from terminal complement pathway proteins, but the reasons for this variation remain poorly understood. We have characterized in detail the complement sensitivity phenotypes of nine A. baumannii clinical strains and some of the factors that might influence differences between strains. Using A. baumannii laboratory strains and flow cytometry assays, we first reconfirmed that both opsonization with the complement proteins C3b/iC3b and MAC formation were inhibited by the capsule. There were marked differences in C3b/iC3b and MAC binding between the nine clinical A. baumannii strains, but this variation was partially independent of capsule composition or size. Opsonization with C3b/iC3b improved neutrophil phagocytosis of most strains. Importantly, although C3b/iC3b binding and MAC formation on the bacterial surface correlated closely, MAC formation did not correlate with variations between A. baumannii strains in their levels of serum resistance. Genomic analysis identified only limited differences between strains in the distribution of genes required for serum resistance, but RNAseq data identified three complement-resistance genes that were differentially regulated between a MAC resistant and two MAC intermediate resistant strains when cultured in serum. These data demonstrate that clinical A. baumannii strains vary in their sensitivity to different aspects of the complement system, and that the serum resistance phenotype was influenced by factors in addition to the amount of MAC forming on the bacterial surface., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Kamuyu, Ercoli, Ramos-Sevillano, Willcocks, Kewcharoenwong, Kiratisin, Taylor, Wren, Lertmemongkolchai, Stabler and Brown.)

Mast cells contribute to the pathogenesis of cutaneous vasculitis through complement C3 that is cleaved to C3b and then to iC3b by complement factor I. The receptor of iC3b, CD11b, is expressed on neutrophils and monocytes and CD14 on monocytes. Their role in vasculitis is obscure. In this study, frozen skin biopsies from the nonlesional skin, initial petechial lesion, and palpable purpura lesion from 10 patients with immunocomplex-mediated small vessel vasculitis were studied immunohistochemically for complement factor I, iC3b, CD11b, and CD14. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 5 healthy subjects were used to study cell migration and cytokine secretion. Already, the nonlesional skin revealed marked immunostaining of complement factor I, iC3b, CD11b, and CD14, and their expression increased sequentially in initial petechial and palpable purpura lesions. Mast cell C3c correlated to iC3b, and both of them correlated to CD11b + and CD14 + cells, in the nonlesional skin. The stimulation of mononuclear cells with 0.01-0.1  μ g/ml iC3b induced cell migration in the transwell assay. C3a stimulated slightly interleukin-8 secretion, whereas 1  μ g/ml iC3b inhibited it slightly, in 4/5 subjects. In conclusion, the C3-C3b-iC3b axis is activated already in the early vasculitis lesion leading to progressive accumulation of CD11b + and CD14 + cells., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Dina Rahkola et al.)

Human Complement Receptor 1 (HuCR1) is a potent membrane-bound regulator of complement both in vitro and in vivo, acting via interaction with its ligands C3b and C4b. Soluble versions of HuCR1 have been described such as TP10, the recombinant full-length extracellular domain, and more recently CSL040, a truncated version lacking the C-terminal long homologous repeat domain D (LHR-D). However, the role of N-linked glycosylation in determining its pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) properties is only partly understood. We demonstrated a relationship between the asialo-N-glycan levels of CSL040 and its PK/PD properties in rats and non-human primates (NHPs), using recombinant CSL040 preparations with varying asialo-N-glycan levels. The clearance mechanism likely involves the asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGR), as clearance of CSL040 with a high proportion of asialo-N-glycans was attenuated in vivo by co-administration of rats with asialofetuin, which saturates the ASGR. Biodistribution studies also showed CSL040 localization to the liver following systemic administration. Our studies uncovered differential PD effects by CSL040 on complement pathways, with extended inhibition in both rats and NHPs of the alternative pathway compared with the classical and lectin pathways that were not correlated with its PK profile. Further studies showed that this effect was dose dependent and observed with both CSL040 and the full-length extracellular domain of HuCR1. Taken together, our data suggests that sialylation optimization is an important consideration for developing HuCR1-based therapeutic candidates such as CSL040 with improved PK properties and shows that CSL040 has superior PK/PD responses compared with full-length soluble HuCR1., (© 2022 The Author(s). Published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society.)

Human complement Factor H-related protein 1 (FHR-1) is one of complement Factor H-related proteins (FHRs) and plays an important role in innate immunity. In particular, FHR-1 promotes complement activation by competing with Factor H (FH) for ligands on different surfaces or directly binding to C3b and native C3. Paradoxically, FHR-1 restrains complement activation by inhibiting C5 convertase and terminal complement complex (TCC) formation, and in vitro assays showed that the physiological concentration of FHR-1 had no obvious C3 and C5 regulatory activity. FHR-1 also plays a role in the inflammatory process. MDA-bound FHR-1 promotes inflammatory cytokine release from monocytes in a complement-independent manner. However, its deficiency increases TNFα, IL1β, IL6, and IL10 secretion from monocytes stimulated with LPS and R484. These contradictory effects of FHR-1 in innate immunity indicate that FHR-1 may function differently in different scenarios. Dysregulation of innate immunity due to frequent CFHR1 variations is associated with various immune inflammatory disorders. Mutations in the C-terminus of FHR-1 that increase its similarity with FH are associated with atypical haemolytic uraemia syndrome (aHUS). In contrast, mutations in the N-terminus that increase the multimerization of FHRs are associated with C3 glomerulopathy (C3G). Changes in FHR-1 concentration have been observed in other diseases. The different functions of the C-terminus and N-terminus of FHR-1 and the distinct function of FHR-1 under various conditions may explain the association of CFHR1 variations with different diseases. Here, we summarized the recent progress on FHR-1 and dissected its role in various immune inflammatory disorders, helping to comprehend and further explore the disease pathogenesis., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Complement activation on cell surfaces leads to the massive deposition of C3b, iC3b, and C3dg, the main complement opsonins. Recognition of iC3b by complement receptor type 3 (CR3) fosters pathogen opsonophagocytosis by macrophages and the stimulation of adaptive immunity by complement-opsonized antigens. Here, we present the crystallographic structure of the complex between human iC3b and the von Willebrand A inserted domain of the α chain of CR3 (αI). The crystal contains two composite interfaces for CR3 αI, encompassing distinct sets of contiguous macroglobulin (MG) domains on the C3c moiety, MG1-MG2 and MG6-MG7 domains. These composite binding sites define two iC3b-CR3 αI complexes characterized by specific rearrangements of the two semi-independent modules, C3c moiety and TED domain. Furthermore, we show the structure of iC3b in a physiologically-relevant extended conformation. Based on previously available data and novel insights reported herein, we propose an integrative model that reconciles conflicting facts about iC3b structure and function and explains the molecular basis for iC3b selective recognition by CR3 on opsonized surfaces., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Staphylococcus aureus employs a multitude of immune-evasive tactics to circumvent host defenses including the complement system, a component of innate immunity central to controlling bacterial infections. With antibiotic resistance becoming increasingly common, there is a dire need for novel therapies. Previously, we have shown that S. aureus binds the complement regulator factor H (FH) via surface protein SdrE to inhibit complement. To address the need for novel therapeutics and take advantage of the FH:SdrE interaction, we examined the effect of a fusion protein comprised of the SdrE-interacting domain of FH coupled with IgG Fc on complement-mediated opsonophagocytosis and bacterial killing of community associated methicillin-resistant S. aureus. S. aureus bound significantly more FH-Fc compared to Fc-control proteins and FH-Fc competed with serum FH for S. aureus binding. FH-Fc treatment increased C3-fragment opsonization of S. aureus for both C3b and iC3b, and boosted generation of the anaphylatoxin C5a. In 5 and 10% serum, FH-Fc treatment significantly increased S. aureus killing by polymorphonuclear cells. This anti-staphylococcal effect was evident in 75% (3/4) of clinical isolates tested. This study demonstrates that FH-Fc fusion proteins have the potential to mitigate the protective effects of bound serum FH rendering S. aureus more vulnerable to the host immune system. Thus, we report the promise of virulence-factor-targeted fusion-proteins as an avenue for prospective anti-staphylococcal therapeutic development., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

The β protein from group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a ∼132-kDa, cell-surface exposed molecule that binds to multiple host-derived ligands, including complement factor H (FH). Many details regarding this interaction and its significance to immune evasion by GBS remain unclear. In this study, we identified a three-helix bundle domain within the C-terminal half of the B75KN region of β as the major FH-binding determinant and determined its crystal structure at 2.5 Å resolution. Analysis of this structure suggested a role in FH binding for a loop region connecting helices α1 and α2, which we confirmed by mutagenesis and direct binding studies. Using a combination of protein cross-linking and mass spectrometry, we observed that B75KN bound to complement control protein (CCP)3 and CCP4 domains of FH. Although this binding site lies within a complement regulatory region of FH, we determined that FH bound by β retained its decay acceleration and cofactor activities. Heterologous expression of β by Lactococcus lactis resulted in recruitment of FH to the bacterial surface and a significant reduction of C3b deposition following exposure to human serum. Surprisingly, we found that FH binding by β was not required for bacterial resistance to phagocytosis by neutrophils or killing of bacteria by whole human blood. However, loss of the B75KN region significantly diminished bacterial survival in both assays. Although our results show that FH recruited to the bacterial surface through a high-affinity interaction maintains key complement-regulatory functions, they raise questions about the importance of FH binding to immune evasion by GBS as a whole., (Copyright © 2022 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.)

Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) is a rare but severe type of thrombotic microangiopathy that is triggered by the abnormal activation of the alternative complement pathway. Previous studies have reported that three completely linked coding variants of CFHR1 form two haplotypes, namely, CFHR1 *A (c.469C, c.475C, c.523G) and CFHR1 *B (c.469T, c.475G, c.523C). CFHR1 *B is associated with susceptibility to aHUS. To explore the genetic mechanism by which CFHR1 isoforms contribute to aHUS, we compared the structures of FHR1*A and FHR1*B by homology modeling and found differences in the angles between SCR3 and SCR4-SCR5, as FHR1*B had a larger angle than FHR1*A. Then, we expressed FHR1*A and FHR1*B recombinant proteins and compared their functions in complement system regulation and inflammation. We found that FHR1*B presented a significantly higher capacity for binding C3b and necrotic cells than FHR1*A. In a cofactor assay, the FHR-1*B showed stronger influence on FH mediated cofactor function than the FHR-1*A, resulted in fewer C3b cleavage products. In the C3 convertase assays, FHR1*B showed more powerful effect compared with FHR1*A regarding to de-regulate FH function of inhibition the assembling of C3bBb. Additionally, we also found that FHR1*B triggered monocytes to secrete higher levels of IL-1β and IL-6 than FHR1*A. In the present study, we showed that variants of CFHR1 might differently affect complement activation and sterile inflammation. Our findings provide a possible mechanism underlying the predisposition to aHUS caused by CFHR1 isoform CFHR1 *B., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Xu, Kang, Du, Guo, Zhu and Zhang.)

Complement factor I (FI) is a central inhibitor of the complement system, and impaired FI function increases complement activation, contributing to diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS). Genetic variation in complement factor I ( CFI ) has been identified in both AMD and aHUS, with more than half of these variants leading to reduced FI secretion levels. For many of the variants with normal FI secretion, however, functional implications are not yet known. Here we studied 11 rare missense variants, with FI secretion levels comparable to wildtype, but a predicted damaging effects based on the Combined Annotation Dependent Depletion (CADD) score. Three variants (p.Pro50Ala, p.Arg339Gln, and p.Ser570Thr) were analyzed in plasma and serum samples of carriers affected by AMD. All 11 variants (nine for the first time in this study) were recombinantly expressed and the ability to degrade C3b was studied with the C3b degradation assay. The amount of degradation was determined by measuring the degradation product iC3b with ELISA. Eight of 11 (73%) mutant proteins (p.Pro50Ala, p.Arg339Gln, p.Ile340Thr, p.Gly342Glu, p.Gly349Arg, p.Arg474Gln, p.Gly487Cys, and p.Gly512Ser) showed significantly impaired C3b degradation, and were therefore classified as likely pathogenic. Our data indicate that genetic variants in CFI with a CADD score >20 are likely to affect FI function, and that monitoring iC3b in a degradation assay is a useful tool to establish the pathogenicity of CFI variants in functional studies., Competing Interests: Author SK was employed by company Gemini Therapeutics Inc.AH is a consultant for Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Gyroscope Therapeutics, Gemini Therapeutics and F. Hoffmann-La Roche. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. This study received funding from Gemini Therapeutics Inc. The funder’s employer (SK) had contributed to study design and preparation of the manuscript., (Copyright © 2022 de Jong, de Breuk, Bakker, Katti, Hoyng, Nilsson, Blom, van den Heuvel, den Hollander and Volokhina.)

As the most abundant component of the complement system, C3 and its proteolytic derivatives serve essential roles in the function of all three complement pathways. Central to this is a network of protein-protein interactions made possible by the sequential proteolysis and far-reaching structural changes that accompany C3 activation. Beginning with the crystal structures of C3, C3b, and C3c nearly twenty years ago, the physical transformations underlying C3 function that had long been suspected were finally revealed. In the years that followed, a compendium of crystallographic information on C3 derivatives bound to various enzymes, regulators, receptors, and inhibitors generated new levels of insight into the structure and function of the C3 molecule. This Review provides a concise classification, summary, and interpretation of the more than 50 unique crystal structure determinations for human C3. It also highlights other salient features of C3 structure that were made possible through solution-based methods, including Hydrogen/Deuterium Exchange and Small Angle X-ray Scattering. At this pivotal time when the first C3-targeted therapeutics begin to see use in the clinic, some perspectives are also offered on how this continually growing body of structural information might be leveraged for future development of next-generation C3 inhibitors., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)