Expression and Stabilization of Recombinant Human C3aR Receptor

The complement system is an important part of the immune system that controls the body’s defense against pathogens. One of the pro-inflammatory active components of the system is the proteolytic fragment C3a, which primarily acts through the corresponding receptor C3aR, promoting both the physiological response and in case excessive downstream activation contributes to the development of a wide range of disorders of predominantly inflammatory etiology. Studies on animal models have highlighted the potential of C3aR as an important drug target. The present work describes the generation of genetic constructs for expression of the C3aR receptor in the insect cell line S f 9, purification and characterization of C3aR for further structural and functional studies. We anticipate that this work will contribute to the determination of the receptor structure by X-ray crystallography and lead to rational drug design for treating inflammation disorders.