The 6C9 monoclonal antibody specifically recognizes human and mouse Complement component 3 (C3) and its multifunctional C3b and iC3b fragments. C3 is a ~190 kDa plasma glycoprotein that functions as a key component of the classical, alternative and lectin complement activation pathways. Active C3 fragments participate in innate and adaptive immune responses that eliminate pathogens, dying cells, and immune complexes from the body. C3 is produced by hepatocytes, mast cells, and leucocytes including some monocytes, macrophages, dendritic cells (DC), and T cells. As a result of complement activation, eg, initiated by an antigen-antibody immune complex in the classical pathway, biologically active C3b fragments can be cleaved from C3 by enzymatic C3 convertases. C3b can function as an opsonin by binding covalently via its reactive thioester to the surfaces of target cells, including microbes. C3b can also bind to antigen-antibody immune complexes. Macrophages and neutrophils can recognize and bind to C3b by their complement receptors, such as Complement Receptor 1 (CR1, CD35), which enhances their phagocytosis of C3b-bound target cells or immune complexes. Opsonization of target surfaces, including the cell surfaces of pathogenic organisms, infected or tumor cells, through C3b deposition is central to all three pathways of complement activation during innate or adaptive immune responses. C3b can also associate with other components of the complement system to form a C5 convertase. This complex cleaves C5 into the C5a anaphylatoxin and C5b which initiates formation of the of the cytolytic membrane attack complex (MAC) that can form holes in target cell membranes leading to cell lysis. C3b can be further cleaved into iC3b by factor I protease and its cofactors. The iC3b fragment serves as a ligand for engaging lymphoid and phagocytic cells via various receptors including CR2 (CD21), CR3 (CD11b/CD18), CR4 (CD11c/CD18), and CRIg.
Bead-based compensation or unmixing controls, such as BD® CompBeads or BD™ SpectraComp™, can be used as surrogates to assess fluorescence spillover when bound to fluorochrome-conjugated antibodies. Although these beads have spectral properties similar to cells, variations in spectral emission may occur, resulting in differing spillover values compared to biological controls. Therefore, it is considered best practice to compare the spillover obtained from cells and bead-based controls when using BD® CompBeads or BD™ SpectraComp™ for the first time, to ensure they are appropriate for the intended application.
The monoclonal antibody was purified from tissue culture supernatant or ascites by affinity chromatography. The antibody was conjugated to the dye under optimum conditions that minimize unconjugated dye and antibody. Store undiluted at 4°C and protected from prolonged exposure to light. Do not freeze.
1. Please refer to www.bdbiosciences.com/us/s/resources for technical protocols.
2. Please refer to http://regdocs.bd.com to access safety data sheets (SDS).
3. For U.S. patents that may apply, see bd.com/patents.
4. Caution: Sodium azide yields highly toxic hydrazoic acid under acidic conditions. Dilute azide compounds in running water before discarding to avoid accumulation of potentially explosive deposits in plumbing.
5. Since applications vary, each investigator should titrate the reagent to obtain optimal results.
6. Species cross-reactivity detected in product development may not have been confirmed on every format and/or application.
7. The production process underwent stringent testing and validation to assure that it generates a high-quality conjugate with consistent performance and specific binding activity. However, verification testing has not been performed on all conjugate lots.
8. When using high concentrations of antibody, background binding of this dye to erythroid fragments produced by ammonium chloride-based lysis, such as with BD Pharm Lyse™ Lysing Buffer (Cat. No. 555899), has been observed when the antibody conjugate was present during the lysis procedure. This may cause nonspecific staining of target cells, such as leukocytes, which have bound the resulting erythroid fragments. This background can be mitigated by any of the following: titrating the antibody conjugate to a lower concentration, fixing samples with formaldehyde, or removing erythrocytes before staining (eg, gradient centrifugation or pre-lysis with wash). This background has not been observed when cells were lysed with BD FACS™ Lysing Solution (Cat. No. 349202) after staining.
9. For fluorochrome spectra and suitable instrument settings, please refer to our Multicolor Flow Cytometry web page at www.bdbiosciences.com/colors.
10. An isotype control should be used at the same concentration as the antibody of interest.
11. Please observe the following precautions: We recommend that special precautions be taken (such as wrapping vials, tubes, or racks in aluminum foil) to protect exposure of conjugated reagents, including cells stained with those reagents, to any room illumination. Absorption of visible light can significantly affect the emission spectra and quantum yield of tandem fluorochrome conjugates.
12. Alexa Fluor™ is a trademark of Life Technologies Corporation.
13. Human donor specific background has been observed in relation to the presence of anti-polyethylene glycol (PEG) antibodies, developed as a result of certain vaccines containing PEG, including some COVID-19 vaccines. We recommend use of BD Horizon Brilliant™ Stain Buffer in your experiments to help mitigate potential background. For more information visit https://www.bdbiosciences.com/en-us/support/product-notices.
