Complement Component C8

**Semantic type:** Amino Acid, Peptide, or Protein

**Definition:** A heterotrimeric protein complex composed of complement component 8 (C8) chains alpha, beta and gamma. The alpha and gamma chains form a disulfide-linked dimer that is noncovalently associated with the beta chain. C8 inserts itself into target cell membranes following formation of the C5b-6-7 complex and then recruits 10-16 molecules of C9 to complete the formation of the membrane attack complex.

**Synonyms:** - C8 - Complement C8 - Complement Component 8