The lectin pathway of complement activation is a critical component of the innate immune response to pneumococcal infection.

ABSTRACT: The complement system plays a key role in host defense against pneumococcal infection. Three different pathways, the classical, alternative and lectin pathways, mediate complement activation. While there is limited information available on the roles of the classical and the alternative activation pathways of complement in fighting streptococcal infection, little is known about the role of the lectin pathway, mainly due to the lack of appropriate experimental models of lectin pathway deficiency. We have recently established a mouse strain deficient of the lectin pathway effector enzyme mannan-binding lectin associated serine protease-2 (MASP-2) and shown that this mouse strain is unable to form the lectin pathway specific C3 and C5 convertases. Here we report that MASP-2 deficient mice (whi

SUBMITTER: Ali YM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3390405 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature