Membrane Attack Complex (MAC) Background
The complement system is part of the innate immune system and forms an activation cascade of proteins with organization and complexity. Complement activity leads to the formation of the membrane attack complex (MAC) via three distinct pathways. Following activation and subsequent formation of enzymatic complexes called C3 and C5 convertases, the pathways enter a common terminal pathway, which triggers in the interaction of five complement proteins to form the MAC by sequential interaction of C5b with C6, C7, C8 and C9. Assembly of the MAC on a cellular membrane is able to mediate kill susceptible cells or transmit activation or apoptotic signals resulting in lysis of some mammalian cells such as red blood cells, as well as lysis of bacteria and certain viruses. This action of the complement system as a representative of innate immunity has been recognized as playing a key role in defense against infections.
Complement Component C6
C6 is a member of the complement cascade and a 913 amino acid single polypeptide chain glycoprotein. C6 is a part of the lytic MAC formed during complement activation, which can form a pore-like structure in cell membranes following complement activation and cause the cell to lyse. C6 is a modular protein and shares structural similarity and significant homology with the other terminal complement components (TCCs), C7, C8, and C9, all of them are a group of related plasma proteins and belong to the same gene family and participate in the assembly of the MAC. The complement system as representative of innate immunity plays a crucial role in the host defense against infections.
Fig.1 Crystal structure and domain organization of C6. (Aleshin, 2012)
Complement Component C6 Based Therapy
With the other complement proteins of the terminal pathway, C6 constitutes the membrane attack complex or MAC. Purified human complement component C6 is unique to the terminal complement pathway and also plays a critical role in inflammatory responses. Patients with a congenital genetical deficiency of individual terminal complement proteins, in particular of C6, are associated with susceptibility to severe recurrent infections, predominantly by Neisseria gonorrhoeae or Neisseria meningitidis. The susceptibility is attributable to the significant role played by complement-mediated killing in host defense against Neisseria.
Purified complement components are useful in a wide variety of immunochemical and research applications; besides, biotherapeutics development on the C6 target of some related disorders helps understand the mechanism and helps the patients survive. Based on the knowledge on complement therapeutic field, Creative Biolabs provides anti-complement C6 antibodies, recombinant complement C6 proteins, complement C6 ELISA kits, complement C6 immunizing peptide, C6 protein lysate from human cells, and C6 drug development for the complement system research and drug development.
If you are interested in complement component C6, please feel free to contact us for more detailed information.
Reference
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Aleshin, A. E.; et al. Structure of complement C6 suggests a mechanism for initiation and unidirectional, sequential assembly of membrane attack complex (MAC). Journal of Biological Chemistry. 2012, 287(13): 10210-10222.
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