Characterization of a non-functional form of C1q found in patients with a genetically linked deficiency of C1q activity

A genetically defective form of C1q was purified from the sera of patients suffering from an immune complex related disease and who were homozygous for the defect. The defective C1q was haemolytically inactive and did not bind to immune aggregates or IgG-Sepharose. It showed the following similarities to the normal C1q molecule: a high glycine content and the presence of hydroxyproline and hydroxylysine; subunits with apparent mol. wts of 70,000 and 56,000, when examined by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under non-reducing conditions; preferential incorporation of 125I-label into only one of the types of chain present in the molecule, in a manner similar to that found for the C-chain of normal C1q. However, the defective molecule had an apparent mol. wt of approximately 155,000 in non-dissociating conditions, which is approximately one-third of the mol. wt of the normal molecule. Also, the material in the defective molecule preparation which corresponded, on the basis of mol. wt, to the disulphide-linked A-chain-B-chain dimer of normal C1q differed from that found in the normal molecule in that it did not appear to be sensitive to reducing agents. Collagenase and pepsin treatment of specific immunoprecipitates containing the radiolabelled defective molecule indicated that it is, like the normal molecule, composed of collagenous and non-collagenous domains.