Complement binding by two developmental stages of Leishmania major promastigotes varying in expression of a surface lipophosphoglycan.

The binding of complement by two developmentally distinct stages of Leishmania major has been studied. Noninfective log phase growth (LOG) promastigotes (serum sensitive) activate complement with deposition of covalently bound C3b onto the surface of the parasite. Infective, peanut agglutinin (PNA-) metacyclic stage promastigotes (serum resistant) also bear mainly C3b after incubation in serum, but a major portion of deposited C3 is present as a 110 X 10(3) mol wt C3 fragment. Whereas deposition of C3b on LOG promastigotes is mediated through the alternative pathway. PNA- parasites are unable to activate the alternative pathway in nonimmune serum. C3 is released from the parasite surface by proteolytic cleavage, at a rate which is nearly threefold greater for LOG than for PNA- promastigotes. Immunoprecipitation experiments show that the developmentally regulated lipophosphoglycan is a major C3 acceptor on both LOG and PNA- parasites. These experiments, which are the first to compare the form and processing of complement on infective and noninfective promastigotes of Leishmania, provide a framework for further definition of the differential C3 receptor-dependent uptake and survival of these parasites within mononuclear phagocytes.