C1 activation requires interaction with two separate Fc domains, so pentavalent IgM antibody is far more efficient at complement activation than IgG antibody (Muller-Eberhard and Kunkel 1961). Antibody binding results in a conformational change in the C1r component of the C1 complex and a proteolytic cleavage of C1r, activating it (Ziccardi and Cooper 1976). This reaction is irreversible under physiological conditions.
Ziccardi, RJ, Cooper, NR
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