Regulators of complement activation (RCA) inhibit complement‐induced immune responses on healthy host tissues. We present crystal structures of human RCA (MCP, DAF, and CR1) and a smallpox virus homolog (SPICE) bound to complement component C3b. Our structural data reveal that up to four consecutive homologous CCP domains (i–iv), responsible for inhibition, bind in the same orientation and extended arrangement at a shared binding platform on C3b. Large sequence variations in CCP domains explain the diverse C3b‐binding patterns, with limited or no contribution of some individual domains, while all regulators show extensive contacts with C3b for the domains at the third site. A variation of ~100° rotation around the longitudinal axis is observed for domains binding at the fourth site on C3b, without affecting the overall binding mode. The data suggest a common evolutionary origin for both inhibitory mechanisms, called decay acceleration and cofactor activity, with variable C3b binding through domains at sites ii, iii, and iv, and provide a framework for understanding RCA disease‐related mutations and immune evasion.

The complement system labels microbes and host debris for clearance. Degradation of surface-bound C3b is pivotal to direct immune responses and protect host cells. How the serine protease factor I (FI), assisted by regulators, cleaves either two or three distant peptide bonds in the CUB domain of C3b remains unclear. We present a crystal structure of C3b in complex with FI and regulator factor H (FH; domains1–4 with 19–20). FI binds C3b–FH between FH domains 2 and 3 and a reoriented C3b C-terminal domain and docks onto the first scissile bond, while stabilizing its catalytic domain for proteolytic activity. One cleavage in C3b does not affect its overall structure, whereas two cleavages unfold CUB and dislodge the thioester-containing domain (TED), affecting binding of regulators and thereby determining the number of cleavages. These data explain how FI generates late-stage opsonins iC3b or C3dg in a context-dependent manner, to react to foreign, danger or healthy self signals.

Leucine-rich repeat-containing G protein-coupled receptors 4-6 (LGR4-LGR6) are receptors for R-spondins, potent Wnt agonists that exert profound trophic effects on Wnt-driven stem cells compartments. We present crystal structures of a signaling-competent fragment of R-spondin 1 (Rspo1) at a resolution of 2.0 Å and its complex with the LGR5 ectodomain at a resolution of 3.2 Å. Ecto-LGR5 binds Rspo1 at its concave leucine-rich-repeat (LRR) surface, forming a dimeric 2:2 complex. Fully conserved residues on LGR4-LGR6 explain promiscuous binding of R-spondins. A phenylalanine clamp formed by Rspo1 Phe106 and Phe110 pinches Ala190 of LGR5 and is critical for binding. Mutations related to congenital anonychia reduce signaling, but not binding of Rspo1 to LGR5. Furthermore, antibody binding to the extended loop of the C-terminal LRR cap of LGR5 activates signaling in a ligand-independent manner. Thus, our data reveal binding of R-spondins to conserved sites on LGR4-LGR6 and, in analogy to FSHR and related receptors, suggest a direct signaling role for LGR4-LGR6 in addition to its formation of Wnt receptor and coreceptor complexes.

No abstract

Enzymes of the six-transmembrane epithelial antigen of the prostate (STEAP) family reduce Fe3+ and Cu2+ ions to facilitate metal-ion uptake by mammalian cells. STEAPs are highly upregulated in several types of cancer, making them potential therapeutic targets. However, the structural basis for STEAP-catalyzed electron transfer through an array of cofactors to metals at the membrane luminal side remains elusive. Here, we report cryo-electron microscopy structures of human STEAP4 in absence and presence of Fe3+-NTA. Domain-swapped, trimeric STEAP4 orients NADPH bound to a cytosolic domain onto axially aligned flavin-adenine dinucleotide (FAD) and a single b-type heme that cross the transmembrane-domain to enable electron transfer. Substrate binding within a positively charged ring indicates that iron gets reduced while in complex with its chelator. These molecular principles of iron reduction provide a basis for exploring STEAPs as therapeutic targets.