Purification and characterization of decay-accelerating factor (DAF) from Raji cells.

Decay-accelerating factor (DAF), a membrane protein that regulates the complement system, was purified to homogeneity from lymphoblastoid (Raji) cells (DAF-R). It exhibited almost the same molecular weight as DAF from stroma of erythrocytes (DAF-S). Purified DAF-R, which could be reincorporated into cell membranes, accelerated the decay of the C3 convertases, in both the classical (C4b2a) and the alternative (C3bBb) pathways. This activity was completely inhibited by a monoclonal anti-DAF antibody, 1C6. From these results, DAF-R and DAF-S can not be distinguished; however, the decay-accelerating activity of DAF-R was much higher than that of DAF-S. 1C6 enhanced the binding of C3 to Raji cells by incubating with six purified components of the alternative pathway, whereas it did not induce the killing of Raji cells after a short incubation period. When antibodies against Raji cells were added to the above system, the blocking of DAF activity by 1C6 resulted in efficient killing of Raji cells by autologous complement. From these results, it is clear that DAF on nucleated cells plays an important role in protecting these cells from the damage caused by autologous complement.