C2

Product Description

C2 is central to the activation of both the classical and the lectin pathways of complement. It forms the proteolytic subunit of the C3 and C5 convertase of both pathways. Initiation of each pathway generates proteolytic enzyme complexes which are bound to the target surface (C1q/C1r/C1s in the classical pathway and MBL/ Ficolin/ MASPs in the lectin pathway). C1s and MASP in these complexes activate both C4 and C2. They cleave a peptide bond in C4 depositing C4b on the surface. They also cleave C2 into two fragments. The larger fragment (C2a) binds to C4b and forms the C3/C5 convertase enzyme complex C4b,C2a. This enzyme activates C3, deposits C3b on or near the C4b,C2a site and thus is converted from a weak C5 convertase to a highly efficient C5 convertase (C4b,C2a,C3b) with a K_m for C5 3000-fold lower than that of the C4b,C2a enzyme alone (Rawal N. and Pangburn M.K. (2003)).

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