Structure, function and molecular genetics of human and murine C1r

C1r, the enzyme responsible for intrinsic activation of the C1 complex of complement, is a modular serine protease featuring an overall structural organization homologous to those of C1s and the mannan-binding lectin-associated serine proteases (MASPs). This review will initially summarize current information on the structure and function of C1r, with particular emphasis on the three-dimensional structure of its catalytic domain, which provides new insights into the activation mechanism of C1. The second part of this review will focus on recent discoveries dealing with a truncated, C1r-related protein, and the occurrence in the mouse of two isoforms, C1rA and C1rB, exhibiting tissue-specific expression patterns.