The Complement System:An Overview

The complement (C) system consists of a group of 12 soluble plasma proteins that interact with one another in two distinct enzymatic activation cascades (the classical and alternative pathways) and in the nonenzymatic assembly of a cytolytic complex (the membrane attack pathway) (Fig. 1 ; Table 1 ). A third activation pathway, termed the lectin pathway, has recently been described ( 1 , 2 ). Control of these enzymatic cascades, essential to prevent rapid consumption of C in vivo, is provided by 10 or more plasma and membrane -bound inhibitory proteins acting at multiple stages of the system. C plays a central role in innate immune defense, which provides a system for the rapid destruction of a wide range of invading microorganisms.   Fig. 1.  The complement system and its control. The constituent pathways of the C system and the component proteins are shown. Enzymatic cleavages are represented by thick arrows. The lectin pathway differs from the CP only in that the MBP-MASP complex replaces the Cl complex. Regulators act to inhibit either the enzymes of the activation pathways (activated Cl, C3 convertases, C5 convertases) or assembly of the MAC. Table 1  The Component Proteins of the Complement System

The proteins that constitute the classical, alternative, and membrane attack pathways are listed together with their approximate concentration in plasma. Modified from: Morgan, B.P. and Harris, C. L. (1999) Complement Regulatory Proteins. Academic, London.