The novel complement inhibitor human CUB and Sushi multiple domains 1 (CSMD1) protein promotes factor I-mediated degradation of C4b and C3b and inhibits the membrane attack complex assembly.

CUB and Sushi multiple domains 1 (CSMD1) is a transmembrane protein containing 15 consecutive complement control protein (CCP) domains, which are characteristic for complement inhibitors. We expressed a membrane-bound fragment of human CSMD1 composed of the 15 C-terminal CCP domains and demonstrated that it inhibits deposition of C3b by the classical pathway on the surface of Chinese hamster ovary cells by 70% at 6% serum and of C9 (component of membrane attack complex) by 90% at 1.25% serum. Furthermore, this fragment of CSMD1 served as a cofactor to factor I-mediated degradation of C3b. In all functional assays performed, well-characterized complement inhibitors were used as positive controls, whereas Coxsackie adenovirus receptor, a protein with no effect on complement, was a negative control. Moreover, attenuation of expression in human T47 breast cancer cells that express endogenous CSMD1 significantly increased C3b deposition on these cells by 45% at 8% serum compared with that for the controls. Furthermore, by expressing a soluble 17-21 CCP fragment of CSMD1, we found that CSMD1 inhibits complement by promoting factor I-mediated C4b/C3b degradation and inhibition of MAC assembly at the level of C7. Our results revealed a novel complement inhibitor for the classical and lectin pathways.