The complement system engages a tightly regulated network of plasma proteins, cell surface receptors, and regulators. In this system, complement C3 acts as a specifically versatile role via keeping the cascade alert, and it is a point of convergence of activation pathways, fueling the amplification of the complement response, exerting direct effector functions, and helping to coordinate downstream immune responses. Recently, some researches showed that naturally engages the power of C3 has important functions in many homeostatic processes, such as tissue regeneration and synapse pruning to clearing debris and controlling tumor cell progression. Meanwhile, due to its central position in immune surveillance, C3 became a target for microbial immune evasion and, if improperly engaged, a trigger point for a variety of clinical conditions.
C3 has displayed substantial correlations with obesity, and high gene expression of C3 has been reported in omental adipose tissue in obese men. Besides, it has been demonstrated that the cleavage product of C3, acylation-stimulating protein (ASP), is a paracrine metabolic factor that stimulates the uptake of glucose and fat storage in human adipose tissue. ASP deficiency in mice has been shown to be related to resistance to weight gain on a high-fat diet, despite improved food intake.
Fig. 1 C3 protein.1
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