| Description | ApoA-I mimetic peptide (PVLDLFRELLNELLEALKQKLK) has good lecithin:cholesterol acyl transferase ( LCAT ) activation potency. ApoA-I mimetic peptide can be used for synthesis of peptide/lipid complex | Protein Purity≥85% by SDS PAGEExtinction CoeffA280 nm = 0.631 at 1.0 mg/ml for pure C1qMolecular Weight400,000 Da (18 chains)General DescriptionRat C1q is purified from pooled normal rat serum. C1q is part of the C1 complex, which is the first complement component in the classical pathway of Protein Purity≥85% by SDS PAGEExtinction CoeffA280 nm = 0.631 at 1.0 mg/ml for pure C1qMolecular Weight400,000 Da (18 chains)General DescriptionRat C1q is purified from pooled normal rat serum. C1q is part of the C1 complex, which is the first complement component in the classical pathway of complement. The C1 complex is a non-covalent assembly of three different proteins (C1q, C1r, and C1s) bound together in a calcium-dependent complex. C1q has six extended arms with domains at the end of each arm that bind to the Fc domains of immunoglobulins such as IgG or IgM. When antibodies bind toantigens, forming immune complexes, they cluster allowing two or more of the six C1q arms to bind to the Fc domains of antibodies. Rat IgG2 is very efficient when compared to IgG1 in activating complement (Medgyesi, G.A et., al., 1981). This is in contrast to the human system in which IgG1 activates complement but not IgG2 (Redpath, S. et. al., 1998). The binding of multiple arms of C1q to immune complexes causes the two C1r proteins in the complex (protease zymogens) to auto-activate. The activated C1r proteases cleave and activate the two C1s protease zymogens in the complex. The activated C1s cleaves complement component C4 releasing C4a and initiating covalent attachment of C4b to the activating surface. Activated C1s also cleaves C2 and the larger fragment of C2 binds to the surface-attached C4b forming C4b,C2a, the C3/C5 convertase of the classical pathway.Rat IgG1 cannot activate complement whereas rat IgG2 does.Physical Characteristics & StructureThe apparent molecular weight of rat C1q as determined by gel filtration has been reported to be 400,000 by Veerhuis, R. et al., (1985) and is calculated to be 420,000 based on its amino acid sequence. Rat C1q is a high molecular weight complex of 18 polypeptide chains. Each of the six arms of rat C1q contains three chains, an A chain (~30,000 daltons), a B chain (~28,000 daltons) and a C chain (~26,000 daltons) as determined by SDS/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (Wing, M.G. et al., (1993)).FunctionThe biological functions of C1q are described above in the General Description and Physical Characteristics sections.ApplicationsRat C1q can be used to coat ELISA plates to capture and quantitate immune complexes in samples from rat models used for studying immune complex related diseases and conditions.GeneticsNCBI Gene ID numbers for rat C1q are: C1q A chain (298566), C1q B chain (29687), and C1q C chain (362634). The genes for C1q chains A, B and C are all located on chromosome 5. The UniprotKB primary accession numbers for rat C1q are: C1q A chain (P31720), C1q B chain (P31721), and C1q C chain (P31722).Precautions/Toxicity/HazardsThis protein is purified from animal plasma/serum and therefore precautions appropriate for handling any animal blood-derived product must be used.ReferencesMedgyesi, G.A et., Miklos, K., Kulics, J., Fust, G., and Gergely, J. Bazin, H. (1981). Classes and subclasses of rat antibodies: reaction with the antigen and interaction of the complex with the complement system. Immunology 43, 171-176.Redpath, S., Michaelsen, T., Sandlie, I. and Clark, M. R. (1998). Activation of complement by human IgG1 and human IgG3 antibodies against the human leucocyte antigen CD52. Immunology 93, 595–600.Veerhuis, R., Van Es, L.A. and Daha, M.R. (1985). In vivo degradation of rat C1q induced by intravenous injection of soluble IgG aggregates. Immunology 54, 801-810.Wing, M.G., Seilly, D. J., Bridgman, D.J. and Harrison, R.A. (1993). Rapid isolation and biochemical characterization of rat C1 and C1q. Molecular Immunology 30, 433-440... Read More | Protein Purity>95% by SDS-PAGEExtinction Coeff.A276 nm = 0.456 at 1.0 mg/mLMolecular Weight8,759 Da (single chain)General DescriptionNatural human C4a is prepared by cleavage of human C4 protein by human C1s. It is produced during activation of both the classical and lectin pathways of complementProtein Purity>95% by SDS-PAGEExtinction Coeff.A276 nm = 0.456 at 1.0 mg/mLMolecular Weight8,759 Da (single chain)General DescriptionNatural human C4a is prepared by cleavage of human C4 protein by human C1s. It is produced during activation of both the classical and lectin pathways of complement. C4a is a member of the anaphylatoxin family of three proteins (C3a, C4a and C5a) produced by the activation of complement (Hugli, T.E. et al. (1981)). It is an unglycosylated polypeptidecontaining 77 amino acids with a molecular mass of 8,759 daltons. Many of the biological functions of C4a are similar to those of C3a, but the specific activities are far below those of C3a. C4a activity is so low, in fact, that it was initially thought to be inactive. These measured activities include inducing muscle contraction in the guinea pig ileum test (spasmogenic activity), desensitization of muscle to C3a stimulation suggesting that the same receptor for both C3a and C4a is involved (tachyphylactic activity) and inducing vascular permeability in human skin (Gorski J.P. et al. (1979)). C4a does not show tachyphylactic activity against C5a or chemotactic activity. Removal of the C-terminal arginine by serum carboxypeptidase N destroys all these activities (Meuller-Ortiz, S.L., et al. (2009)). C4a appears to act through the C3a receptor (C3aR) which is a G-protein coupled receptor found widely distributed on peripheral tissues, lymphoid cells (neutrohphils, monocyes, and eosinophils) and in the central nervous system (astrocytes, neurons and glial cells) (Law, S.K.A. and Reid, K.B.M. (1995)). Physical Characteristics & StructureMolecular weight: 8,759 calculated molecular mass. Observed mass (MALDI-TOF) is 8,762 + 9 mass units. pI = 9.0 to 9.5 (Gorski, J.P. et al. (1981))Amino acid sequence (77 amino acids): NVNFQKAINE KLGQYASPTA KRCCQDGVTR LPMMRSCEQR AARVQQPDCR EPFLSCCQFA ESLRKKSRDK GQAGLQRC4a is thought to be structurally very similar to C3a and C5a to which it is homologous. Thus its 3D structure is probably similar to the X-ray-derived crystal structureof C3a (Huber, R. et al. (1980)) and the NMR derived structure of C3a: Nettesheim, D.G. et al. (1988); Murray, I. et al. (1999).FunctionSee General Description above. C4a exhibits much weaker biological activities than C3a and C5a. Its activity in inducing erythema and edema in human skin is 25,000-fold weaker than that of C5a and 100-fold weaker than C3a per nanomole. The spasmogenic activity of C4a is 2000-fold weaker than C5a and 100-fold weaker than that of C3a. Due to these differences the role of C4a in these responses in vivo is thought to be negligible.AssaysTwo well established assays for C4a and C3a functional activities include induction of contraction in the guinea pig ileum and the permeation of a dye such as trypan blue from the vasculature into skin. The anaphylatoxins also induce mast cell degranulation, (measured as histamine release), platelet aggregation, IL-1 release from monocytes and the release of prostaglandins and leukotrienes from many cells and tissues. The other assays used for C3a (Dodds, A.W. and Sim, R.B. (1997)) should also respond to C4a, but few reports have described utilizing these assays with C4a. ELISA kits for the assay of C4a levels (or more correctly C4a desArg levels) in blood and other fluids are sold by several companies. These measurements are useful for detecting complement activation in vivo, but the interpretation of their meaning is complicated by the fact that clearance of the anaphylatoxins is rapid. In vivoFreshly drawn normal human serum contains significant levels of all three anaphylatoxins. Although these may represent the resting concentration in vivo it is difficult to draw or store blood without some complement activation so a true in vivo concentration is difficult to determine. The presence of EDTA and Futhan in the collection tubes can minimize this background (Pfeifer, P.H. et al. (1999)). Full activation of all C4 in blood (600µg/mL) would result in ~3,400 nM C4a (~30 µg/mL). Due to the low biological activity of C4a it could require activation of most of the C4 in a small region to achieve the micromolar C4a concentrations necessary to elicit a response.RegulationC4a levels are regulated by three processes: formation, inactivation and clearance. There are two enzymes that cleave C4 and release C4a: C1s and MASP-2. C4a is “inactivated” by removal of its C-terminal arginine amino acid. The product C4a desArg (or C4a without the C-terminal arginine) is produced by the action of the plasma enzyme carboxypeptidase N (Mueller-Ortiz S.L. et al. (2009)). The inactivation is rapid and most C4a is converted to C4a desArg within minutes of its formation. Inactivated C4a lack measurable biological activity. Because of the large number of cells bearing C3a/C4areceptors (endothelial, immune, smooth muscle, neuronal, etc.) the capture, internalization and digestion of C4a and C4a desArg probably results in its removal from circulation.DeficienciesA deficiency of C4 or a deficiency of all of the enzymes that cleave C4 to generate C4a could result in the absence of C4a. There are no known complete deficiencies of all ofthe C4 cleaving enzymes. Examples of C4 deficient humans and mice exist (Wessels, M.R. et al. (1995)), but the degree to which pathologies associated with C4 deficiency are due to the lack of C4 or the absence of C4a is unclear. DiseasesThere are no known diseases connected to C4a or C4a desArg. Precautions/Toxicity/HazardsThe source of C4a is human serum, therefore appropriate precautions must be observed even though the source was shown by certified tests to be negative for HBsAg, HTLV-I/II, STS, and for antibodies to HCV, HIV-1 and HIV-II.Injection can cause anaphylatic shock which is a generalized circulatory collapse similar to that caused by an allergic reaction.Hazard Code: B WGK Germany 3... Read More | IRAK-4 protein kinase inhibitor 2 (compound 1) is a potent inhibitor of interleukin-1 (IL-1) receptor-associated kinase-4 (IRAK-4), with an IC 50 of 4 µM. IRAK-4 protein kinase inhibitor 2 can be used for the research of inflammatory and immune-related conditions or disordersIn VitroIRAK-4 IRAK-4 protein kinase inhibitor 2 (compound 1) is a potent inhibitor of interleukin-1 (IL-1) receptor-associated kinase-4 (IRAK-4), with an IC 50 of 4 µM. IRAK-4 protein kinase inhibitor 2 can be used for the research of inflammatory and immune-related conditions or disordersIn VitroIRAK-4 protein kinase inhibitor 2 (compound 1) also inhibits IRAK-1, with an IC 50 of <10 µM. MCE has not independently confirmed the accuracy of these methods. They are for reference only.IC50& Target:IRAK4 4 µM (IC 50 )... Read More | Purity>95% by SDS-PAGE and HPLC analyses.FunctionLigand for IL17RA and IL17RC (PubMed:17911633). The heterodimer formed by IL17A and IL17F is a ligand for the heterodimeric complex formed by IL17RA and IL17RC (PubMed:18684971). Involved in stimulating the production of other cytokines such as IL6Purity>95% by SDS-PAGE and HPLC analyses.FunctionLigand for IL17RA and IL17RC (PubMed:17911633). The heterodimer formed by IL17A and IL17F is a ligand for the heterodimeric complex formed by IL17RA and IL17RC (PubMed:18684971). Involved in stimulating the production of other cytokines such as IL6, IL8 and CSF2, and in regulation of cartilage matrix turnover (PubMed:11591732, PubMed:11591768, PubMed:11574464). Also involved in stimulating the proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells and T-cells and in inhibition of angiogenesis (PubMed:11591732). Plays a role in the induction of neutrophilia in the lungs and in the exacerbation of antigen-induced pulmonary allergic inflammation... Read More |