Publications
2001
Levashina Elena A, Moita L F, Blandin Stéphanie A, Vriend G, Lagueux Marie, Kafatos F C
Conserved role of a complement-like protein in phagocytosis revealed by dsRNA knockout in cultured cells of the mosquito, Anopheles gambiae Journal Article
In: Cell, vol. 104, no. 5, pp. 709–718, 2001, ISSN: 0092-8674.
Abstract | BibTeX | Tags: alpha-Macroglobulins, Animals, Anopheles, blandin, Cells, Cloning, Complement C3, Cultured, DNA Fragmentation, Double-Stranded, Female, Genetic, Gram-Negative Bacteria, Hemocytes, Insect Proteins, M3i, Molecular, Nucleic Acid Denaturation, Phagocytosis, Protein Structure, RNA, Tertiary, Transcription
@article{levashina_conserved_2001,
title = {Conserved role of a complement-like protein in phagocytosis revealed by dsRNA knockout in cultured cells of the mosquito, Anopheles gambiae},
author = {Elena A Levashina and L F Moita and Stéphanie A Blandin and G Vriend and Marie Lagueux and F C Kafatos},
issn = {0092-8674},
year = {2001},
date = {2001-01-01},
journal = {Cell},
volume = {104},
number = {5},
pages = {709--718},
abstract = {We characterize a novel hemocyte-specific acute phase glycoprotein from the malaria vector, Anopheles gambiae. It shows substantial structural and functional similarities, including the highly conserved thioester motif, to both a central component of mammalian complement system, factor C3, and to a pan-protease inhibitor, alpha2-macroglobulin. Most importantly, this protein serves as a complement-like opsonin and promotes phagocytosis of some Gram-negative bacteria in a mosquito hemocyte-like cell line. Chemical inactivation by methylamine and depletion by double-stranded RNA knockout demonstrate that this function is dependent on the internal thioester bond. This evidence of a complement-like function in a protostome animal adds substantially to the accumulating evidence of a common ancestry of immune defenses in insects and vertebrates.},
keywords = {alpha-Macroglobulins, Animals, Anopheles, blandin, Cells, Cloning, Complement C3, Cultured, DNA Fragmentation, Double-Stranded, Female, Genetic, Gram-Negative Bacteria, Hemocytes, Insect Proteins, M3i, Molecular, Nucleic Acid Denaturation, Phagocytosis, Protein Structure, RNA, Tertiary, Transcription},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
We characterize a novel hemocyte-specific acute phase glycoprotein from the malaria vector, Anopheles gambiae. It shows substantial structural and functional similarities, including the highly conserved thioester motif, to both a central component of mammalian complement system, factor C3, and to a pan-protease inhibitor, alpha2-macroglobulin. Most importantly, this protein serves as a complement-like opsonin and promotes phagocytosis of some Gram-negative bacteria in a mosquito hemocyte-like cell line. Chemical inactivation by methylamine and depletion by double-stranded RNA knockout demonstrate that this function is dependent on the internal thioester bond. This evidence of a complement-like function in a protostome animal adds substantially to the accumulating evidence of a common ancestry of immune defenses in insects and vertebrates.