Zusammenfassung der Ressource
Antibodies
- glycoproteins found in serum & tissue fluids which are
produced in response to contact with immunogenic
foreign molecules. Bind specifically to Ag that induce
their formation. HUMORAL IMMUNITY. 5 classes: IgG,
IgM,IgA,IgD,IgE- all have same basic Ab structure
- Structure- Ags bind to variable region, effector function=constant region
- Hypervariability in Ig sequence- 3 hypervariable
regions HVR3 @ position 90 most variable
- Ab binding site- 3 CDR (complementary
determining region) on light chain, 3 on heavy
- Ig's
- IgM-predominant Ab in primary response. PENTAMERIC
structure in SERUM. Found on CELL SURFACE as a MONOMER
- IgG- monomer, 4 subclasses, main Ab in serum & tissue fluids
- IgA-predominant Ab found in SECRETIONS. DIMER/TRIMER. MUCOSAL IMMUNITY
- IgE- monomer, low serum levels important in ALLERGY & responses against many parasites
- IgD-monomer at cell surface of B cells. Ag receptor
- Clonal selection hypothesis
- Large pool of B cells each with Ab of one specificity IgM or D. Ab binds Ag
specifically=proliferation & differentiation= Ag specific B cells (memory cells) + Specific Ab
- Somatic recombination
- Rearrangement of genetic material (DNA) which encodes
the immunoglobulin heavy/light chains (k or L). Process
occurs in bone marrow and is Ag independent
- Kappa light chain recombination: ~40 variable region genes,
~5 joining, 1 constant gene- VJ rearrangement-combinations
random= 40 x 5 x 1=200 combinations
- Lambda light chain- VJ rearrangement=150 combinations
- Heavy gene rearrangement- D extra gene segment- DJ
rearrangement followed by second rearrangment between
VDJ=polypeptide. 80 variable x 30 D x 6 J x 1 C= 14,400
- Additional diversity= junctional: cutting is imprecise when the segments are jined
together giving some loss or gain of nucleotides=change in AA seq @ 3rd hyper
variable region=differences in Ag binding site/ N-region addition-template independent
randon addition catalysed by TERMINAL DEOXYTRANSFERASE-heavy chain only/
Cost-frame shifts-non productive rearrangement in heavy chain
- Heavy chain diversity
(14,400) + Light chain
(350) + junctional
diversity + N-region
insertion= ~10^10
- How is
rearrangement
controlled?
- Enzymes- recombinase activating genes
I & 2 (RAGs) expressed only during
rearrangement process-work with normal
cellular enzymes. DNA sequences guide
the process so that the correct segments
are used- Heptamer & nonamer
sequences-recombination requires
recognition of 12 & 23bp seqs before the
DNA can be joined together. Avoids
inappropriate joining of sequences
- Rearrangement by
deletion- looping
out-bring recognition
seqs
together-recombinase
produces functional
chain gene & rest of
DNA lost-no longer
copied.
- Starts with heavy chain
rearrangement-has to have
polypeptide on its surface before
light chains can be rearranged
Always starting with k-if successful it
expresses a mature Ig molecule.
Starts by expressing IgM, as leaves
bone marrow can also express IgD
then selected by Ag if encountered
- Secondary-time course,
shorter lag, extended
plateau, Ab titre 10 fold+
higher, class switch eg IgG
predominates, affinity
increases, memory cells
- Immunological memory graph
- Class switch
- . IgM & IgD predominantly
produced because closest
to J in genome-translated
to IgM/translated to IgM or
D alternative splicing
- constant region of the heavy chain is changed,
but not the variable region of the heavy chain.
This switch does not affect the antibody’s
specificity for its antigen, but it does alter the
effector functions that each class of antibody
can execute. The antibody class switch is
critically dependent on the type of cytokine that
is present. Various cytokines, such as include
IL-4, IL-5, IFN-gamma and TGF-beta, are
known to be responsible for class switching
- portions of the antibody heavy chain
locus are removed from the
chromosome, and the gene segments
surrounding the deleted portion are
rejoined to retain a functional antibody
gene that produces antibody of a
different isotype
- Increasing the affinity of the Abs
produced during a response
- By making minor changes in the variable region-
single AA changes-if it binds better it is selected for
- Hypermutation of the VH or VL chain sequences-single nucleotide changes.
Mutation rate in the VDJ unit is 10^3/10^4 x higher than other sequences in Ig genes
- 1 week after primary immunisations-first start
to see mutations=if useful outcompete other B
cells & continues to produce a response &
leads to more mutations/ 2 weeks after
primary immunisations-more mutations