Complement Structure
•Structure:
•efound in the $1 and $2 globulin region on protein electrophoretic isolation
•enormally seen in the inactive form (zymogens) in plasma
•esystem may become activate through two pathways:
•Uclassical pathway
•Ualternative pathway
•ezymogens are converted to proteases by proteolysis
•eactivation process is a Acascade@ type reaction where one protease activates a zymogen and the resulting protease activates another zymogen, etc.
•Cytokines