The third component of complement (C3) is responsible for the intracellular survival of Leishmania major

Leishmania are obligate intracellular parasites of mononuclear phagocytes. We and others have shown that the promastigote form of all species of leishmania activates complement from non-immune serum and that this activation can result in parasite lysis. This work, as well as earlier in vivo studies,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature (London) 1987-05, Vol.327 (6120), p.329-331
Main Authors: MOSSER, D. M, EDELSON, P. J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Biological and medical sciences
Blood
Cellular biology
Complement Activation
Complement C3 - immunology
Cytochrome c Group - metabolism
Fluorescent Antibody Technique
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Leishmania major
Leishmania tropica - immunology
Leishmania tropica - physiology
Life cycle. Host-agent relationship. Pathogenesis
Macrophages - immunology
Macrophages - parasitology
Macrophages - physiology
Mice
Opsonin Proteins - immunology
Oxidation-Reduction
Parasites
Phagocytosis
Protozoa
Survival
Vector-borne diseases
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Summary:Leishmania are obligate intracellular parasites of mononuclear phagocytes. We and others have shown that the promastigote form of all species of leishmania activates complement from non-immune serum and that this activation can result in parasite lysis. This work, as well as earlier in vivo studies, suggested that complement is an important component of host defence against leishmaniasis. We now present evidence that parasite complement fixation, in addition to increasing parasite phagocytosis, is required for the intracellular survival of leishmania in macrophages. We specifically show a strong correlation between parasite C3 fixation and intracellular survival. We attribute this survival, in part, to a decrease in the magnitude of the macrophage respiratory burst which is triggered by complement-coated, as opposed to uncoated, parasites.
ISSN:0028-0836
1476-4687
DOI:10.1038/327329b0