English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Antigen binding by serum Ig-M (IgM) protects against microbial infections and helps to prevent autoimmunity, but causes life-threatening diseases when mistargeted. How antigen-bound IgM activates complement-immune responses remains unclear. We present cryoelectron tomography structures of IgM, C1, and C4b complexes formed on antigen-bearing lipid membranes by normal human serum at 4 °C. The IgM-C1-C4b complexes revealed C4b product release as the temperature-limiting step in complement activation. Both IgM hexamers and pentamers adopted hexagonal, dome-shaped structures with Fab pairs, dimerized by hinge domains, bound to surface antigens that support a platform of Fc regions. C1 binds IgM through widely spread C1q-collagen helices, with C1r proteases pointing outward and C1s bending downward and interacting with surface-attached C4b, which further interacts with the adjacent IgM-Fab 2 and globular C1q-recognition unit. Based on these data, we present mechanistic models for antibody-mediated, C1q-transmitted activation of C1 and for C4b deposition, while further conformational rearrangements are required to form C3 convertases.

Insights into IgM-mediated complement activation based on in situ structures of IgM-C1-C4b