Membrane factors responsible for homologous species restriction of complement-mediated lysis: evidence for a factor other than DAF operating at the stage of C8 and C9.

Species-restricted lysis of complement refers to the relative inefficiency of complement to lyse cells from the homologous species. Restriction occurs at least at the steps involving C3/C5 convertase formation and the C9 insertion phase of the complement cascade, and is presumed to be mediated by inhibitory factors in the target cell membrane. In this study, we have examined whether decay accelerating factor (DAF), a membrane protein known to modulate C3/C5 convertase activities on cell surfaces, acts as a regulatory protein in species-restricted lysis of human erythrocyte (E). The role of DAF was assessed in homologous lysis by the classic pathway, in reactive lysis, and in lytic steps requiring C8 and C9. The results indicated that DAF participated in regulating C3/C5 deposition on the surface of homologous E, but had no effect on homologous restriction in reactive lysis and in the reaction of C8 and C9 with antibody-sensitized E C1-7. Treatment of E with pronase or with dithiothreitol (DTT) abolished the restricting effect of homologous C8/C9, indicating that species-restricted lysis by C5b-9 involves membrane factor(s) sensitive to pronase and DTT.