Intracellular C3 Protects Human Airway Epithelial Cells from Stress-associated Cell Death.

ABSTRACT: The complement system provides host defense against pathogens and environmental stress. C3, the central component of complement, is present in the blood and increases in BAL fluid after injury. We recently discovered that C3 is taken up by certain cell types and cleaved intracellularly to C3a and C3b. C3a is required for CD4⁺ T-cell survival. These observations made us question whether complement operates at environmental interfaces, particularly in the respiratory tract. We found that airway epithelial cells (AECs, represented by both primary human tracheobronchial cells and BEAS-2B [cell line]) cultured in C3-free media were unique from other cell types in that they contained large intracellular stores of de novo synthesized C3. A fraction of this protein reduced ("storage for

SUBMITTER: Kulkarni HS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6376412 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature