An especially elaborate and important type of innate antimicrobial enzymes defense is provided by a group of serum proteins that together make up the complement cascade pathway. This group comprises more than two dozen different liver-and macrophage-derived proteins, called complement factors or components, most of which normally circulate in the form of proenzymes that have latent protease activity. As a rule, each of the proteases becomes active when proteolytically cleaved and will then catalyze cleavage and activation of a different complement component. (more…)
Innate immune responses are seen in a very broad range of tissues. Indeed, the Toll-like receptors (TLRs, one of the most important ...
A few of the best known humoral effectors of innate immunity are listed in Table 1 bellow, along with the types of target molec ...
With the exception of complement protein C3, most soluble mediators of innate immunity are found in relatively small amounts in ...
Some of the immediate sequelae of injury are uncomfortably familiar: Soon after an injury occurs, the affected site and its sur ...
Bacteria cause allergic disease because of toxicity, invasiveness, immunopathology, or lends of these three mechanisms. Thus much ...
A few of the best known humoral effectors of innate immunity are listed in Table 1 bellow, along with the types of target molecules they recognize. Some are enzymes that can directly injure or kill microbial pathogens. An example is lysozyme, an endoglycosidase found in human saliva, mucus, tears, and other secretions, which attacks the protective cell wall encasing every bacterial cell. Lysozyme acts by digesting the peptidoglycan meshwork formed by long carbohydrate chains of alternating N-acetylmuramic acid and N-acetylglucosamine residues, crosslinked covalently by short oligopeptide sidechains which is a major constituent of all bacterial cell walls but is not found in mammalian tissues. (more…)
An especially elaborate and important type of innate antimicrobial enzymes defense is provided by a group of serum proteins tha ...
One especially favored target for immune recognition is bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). This macromolecule is found only in ...
The body's innate resistance to many pathogens is provided by enzymes and other proteins in the blood and tissue fluids. These ...
With the exception of complement protein C3, most soluble mediators of innate immunity are found in relatively small amounts in ...
Although it is commonly imagined that hematopoiesis takes place in a liquid environment resembling the blood, with progenitors resp ...