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Is the membrane attack complex of complement an enzyme?

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Summary

Recent studies on the functional activities of the membrane attack complex of complement, C5b-9, are reviewed. A new speculative hypothesis has been advanced to account for the ability of complement to mediate lysis of various targets. This hypothesis has three major elements: 1) that the membrane attack complex is an enzyme; 2) that the substrate for this putative enzyme is a membrane constituent; 3) that the substrate specificity of the putative enzyme is dependent on the species source of individual complement components within the C5b-9 complex.

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Abbreviations

E =:

sheep red cells

A =:

rabbit IgM anti-Forssman antibody

Hu or hu =:

human

GP or gp =:

guinea pig

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  1. Department of Immunology and Medical Microbiology and Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, U.S.A.

    Michael D. P. Boyle

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Boyle, M.D.P. Is the membrane attack complex of complement an enzyme?. Mol Cell Biochem 61, 5–15 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00239603

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