M3i

@article{levashina_conserved_2001,
title = {Conserved role of a complement-like protein in phagocytosis revealed by dsRNA knockout in cultured cells of the mosquito, Anopheles gambiae},
author = {Elena A Levashina and L F Moita and Stéphanie A Blandin and G Vriend and Marie Lagueux and F C Kafatos},
issn = {0092-8674},
year = {2001},
date = {2001-01-01},
journal = {Cell},
volume = {104},
number = {5},
pages = {709--718},
abstract = {We characterize a novel hemocyte-specific acute phase glycoprotein from the malaria vector, Anopheles gambiae. It shows substantial structural and functional similarities, including the highly conserved thioester motif, to both a central component of mammalian complement system, factor C3, and to a pan-protease inhibitor, alpha2-macroglobulin. Most importantly, this protein serves as a complement-like opsonin and promotes phagocytosis of some Gram-negative bacteria in a mosquito hemocyte-like cell line. Chemical inactivation by methylamine and depletion by double-stranded RNA knockout demonstrate that this function is dependent on the internal thioester bond. This evidence of a complement-like function in a protostome animal adds substantially to the accumulating evidence of a common ancestry of immune defenses in insects and vertebrates.},
keywords = {alpha-Macroglobulins, Animals, Anopheles, blandin, Cells, Cloning, Complement C3, Cultured, DNA Fragmentation, Double-Stranded, Female, Genetic, Gram-Negative Bacteria, Hemocytes, Insect Proteins, M3i, Molecular, Nucleic Acid Denaturation, Phagocytosis, Protein Structure, RNA, Tertiary, Transcription},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}

@article{lagueux_constitutive_2000,
title = {Constitutive expression of a complement-like protein in toll and JAK gain-of-function mutants of Drosophila},
author = {Marie Lagueux and E Perrodou and Elena A Levashina and Maria Capovilla and Jules A Hoffmann},
doi = {10.1073/pnas.97.21.11427},
issn = {0027-8424},
year = {2000},
date = {2000-10-01},
journal = {Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.},
volume = {97},
number = {21},
pages = {11427--11432},
abstract = {We show that Drosophila expresses four genes encoding proteins with significant similarities with the thiolester-containing proteins of the complement C3/alpha(2)-macroglobulin superfamily. The genes are transcribed at a low level during all stages of development, and their expression is markedly up-regulated after an immune challenge. For one of these genes, which is predominantly expressed in the larval fat body, we observe a constitutive expression in gain-of-function mutants of the Janus kinase (JAK) hop and a reduced inducibility in loss-of-function hop mutants. We also observe a constitutive expression in gain-of-function Toll mutants. We discuss the possible roles of these novel complement-like proteins in the Drosophila host defense.},
keywords = {alpha-Macroglobulins, Amino Acid, Animals, Cell Surface, Complement C3, Esters, Genetic, hoffmann, Insect Proteins, Janus Kinases, M3i, Membrane Glycoproteins, Mutation, Protein-Tyrosine Kinases, Proteins, Receptors, Sequence Homology, Sulfhydryl Compounds, Toll-Like Receptors, Transcription, Transcription Factors},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}