The mannan-binding lectin (MBL) activation pathway of complement plays an important role in the innate immune defense against pathogenic microorganisms. In human serum, two MBL-associated serine proteases (MASP-1, MASP-2) and MBL-associated protein 19 (MAp19) were found to be associated with MBL. With a view to investigate the interaction properties of these proteins, human MASP-1, MASP-2, MAp19, as well as the N-terminal complement subcomponents C1r/C1s, Uegf, and bone morphogenetic protein-1-epidermal growth factor (CUB-EGF) segments of MASP-1 and MASP-2, were expressed in insect or human kidney cells, and MBL was isolated from human serum. Sedimentation velocity analysis indicated that the MASP-1 and MASP-2 CUB-EGF segments and the homologous protein MAp19 all behaved as homodimers (2.8–3.2 S) in the presence of Ca2+. Although the latter two dimers were not dissociated by EDTA, their physical properties were affected. In contrast, the MASP-1 CUB-EGF homodimer was not sensitive to EDTA. The three proteins and full-length MASP-1 and MASP-2 showed no interaction with each other as judged by gel filtration and surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy. Using the latter technique, MASP-1, MASP-2, their CUB-EGF segments, and MAp19 were each shown to bind to immobilized MBL, with KD values of 0.8 nM (MASP-2), 1.4 nM (MASP-1), 13.0 nM (MAp19 and MASP-2 CUB-EGF), and 25.7 nM (MASP-1 CUB-EGF). The binding was Ca2+-dependent and fully sensitive to EDTA in all cases. These data indicate that MASP-1, MASP-2, and MAp19 each associate as homodimers, and individually form Ca2+-dependent complexes with MBL through the CUB-EGF pair of each protein. This suggests that distinct MBL/MASP complexes may be involved in the activation or regulation of the MBL pathway.

Mannan-binding lectin (MBL)-associated serine proteases-1 and 2 (MASP-1 and MASP-2) are homologous modular proteases that each interact with MBL, an oligomeric serum lectin involved in innate immunity. To precisely determine their substrate specificity, human MASP-1 and MASP-2, and fragments from their catalytic regions were expressed using a baculovirus/insect cells system. Recombinant MASP-2 displayed a rather wide, C1s-like esterolytic activity, and specifically cleaved complement proteins C2 and C4, with relative efficiencies 3-and 23-fold higher, respectively, than human C1s. MASP-2 also showed very weak C3 cleaving activity. Recombinant MASP-1 had a lower and more restricted esterolytic activity. It showed marginal activity toward C2 and C3, and no activity on C4. The enzymic activity of both MASP-1 and MASP-2 was specifically titrated by C1 inhibitor, and abolished at a 1:1 C1 inhibitor:protease ratio. Taken together with previous findings, these and other data strongly support the hypothesis that MASP-2 is the protease that, in association with MBL, triggers complement activation via the MBL pathway, through combined self-activation and proteolytic properties devoted to C1r and C1s in the C1 complex. In view of the very low activity of MASP-1 on C3 and C2, our data raise questions about the implication of this protease in complement activation.Mannan-binding lectin (MBL) 1 is an oligomeric C-type lectin that recognizes arrays of neutral carbohydrates such as mannose and N-acetylglucosamine on the surface of pathogenic microorganisms (2). This selectivity endows MBL with the ability to discriminate self from infectious non-self, and confers this "ante-antibody" a major role in innate immunity, as underlined by numerous clinical reports indicating that MBL deficiency is linked with increased susceptibility to infectious diseases (3-5). In addition to its role as an opsonin (3), MBL has devised the ability to associate to several modular proteases termed MASPs (MBL-associated serine proteases) (6 -9). A single MASP entity was initially identified, and characterized as a protease with the ability to cleave complement proteins C4, C2, and C3 (7, 10). Further studies by Thiel et al. (6) revealed that MASP was indeed a mixture of two related but distinct proteases, MASP-1 and MASP-2, and that only the latter had the ability to cleave C4. A third protein component MAp19, arising from alternative splicing of the MASP-2 gene (11, 12), and very recently a further protease MASP-3 (13) were also shown to be associated with MBL.MASP-1 and MASP-2 show a domain organization identical to that of C1r and C1s, the enzymatic components of the C1 complex of complement (14), with an N-terminal CUB module (15) followed by an epidermal growth factor-like module, a second CUB module, two contiguous CCP modules (16), and a C-terminal chymotrypsin-like serine protease domain (see Fig. 1). By analogy with human C1s, it may be anticipated that the proteolytic activity and specificity of the MASPs is defined by the two CCP modules ...

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Ficolins are oligomeric lectins comprising a collagen-like and a fibrinogen-like domain, with a binding specificity for N-acetylglucosamine. It has been reported recently that L-ficolin/P35 associates with mannan-binding lectin (MBL)-associated serine proteases (MASP-1 and -2) and MBL-associated protein 19 (MAp19) in serum and forms complexes able to activate complement. Using surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy we have shown that recombinant MASP-1 and -2, their N-terminal CUB1 (module originally found in complement proteins C1r/C1s, Uegf, and bone morphogenetic protein-1)-epidermal growth factor (EGF)-CUB2 and CUB1-EGF segments, and MAp19 bind to immobilized L-ficolin/P35 in the presence of Ca2+ ions. Comparable Kd values were obtained for the full-length proteases and their CUB1-EGF-CUB2 segments (9.2 and 10 nM for MASP-1 and 4.6 and 5.4 nM for MASP-2, respectively), whereas higher values were obtained for the CUB1-EGF segments (26.7, 15.6, and 14.3 nM for MASP-1, MASP-2, and MAp19). These values are in the same range as those determined for the interaction of these proteins with MBL. Binding was Ca2+ dependent and was only partly sensitive to EDTA for MASP-1, MASP-2, and MASP-2 CUB1-EGF-CUB2. Half-maximal binding was obtained at comparable Ca2+ concentrations for MASP-1 and MASP-2 (0.45 and 0.47 μM, respectively), their CUB1-EGF-CUB2 segments (0.37 and 0.72 μM), and their CUB1-EGF segments (0.31 and 0.79 μM). These values are lower than those determined in the case of MBL, indicating a difference between MBL and L-ficolin/P35 with respect to the Ca2+ dependence of their interaction with the MASPs. Preincubation of the MASPs with soluble MBL inhibited subsequent binding to immobilized L-ficolin/P35 and, conversely, suggesting that these lectins compete with each other for binding to the MASPs in vivo.