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Although the third component of complement has been purified from two amphibian species, Xenopus laevis and the axolotl, only limited information is available about its primary structure in these species. We now present (a) 95% of the cDNA sequence encoding C3 from a Xenopus laevis/Xenopus gilli (Xenopus LG) hybrid (b) an analysis of the C3 convertase and factor I cleavage sites in Xenopus C3, and (c) evidence for an alternative form of C3. The Xenopus LG sequence has a 57% nucleotide and 52% amino acid sequence identity to human C3 and contains one potential N-glycosylation site in the beta-chain. The deduced amino acid sequence showed that the C3 convertase and factor I cleavage sites (Arg-Ser) are conserved in Xenopus C3 and protein sequencing of Xenopus C3 fragments fixed on zymosan during complement activation demonstrated that Xenopus C3 is indeed cleaved by C3 convertase and factor I at these sites. Our screening of a liver cDNA library identified an unusual C3 clone with a deletion of 2502 bp, suggesting the presence of a novel C3 transcript in Xenopus LG liver. The presence of this C3 transcript was confirmed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction using Xenopus LG liver mRNA and specific oligonucleotide probes. This transcript encoded a putative 102-kDa protein comprising the beta-chain of C3, together with the first 59 residues and the last 103 residues of the alpha-chain; it would therefore lack many of the ligand binding sites found in the intact alpha-chain. However, the molecule may be an analog of a truncated C3 molecule that is found in the serum of allergic dermatitis patients and acts as an inhibitor of eosinophil cytotoxicity and neutrophil adherence.