Adaptive Immune System 1) Proteins Flashcards
What are antibodies also known as?
Immunoglobulins
What are antibodies produced by and where are they expressed?
by B lymphocytes
Expressed on surface of B cells
What are the main functions of antibodies?
- Prevent microbes entering or damaging cells
- Stimulate removal of microbes by phagocytes (opsonisation)
- Trigger destruction of microbes by stimulating other immune responses
How do antibodies prevent microbes entering or damaging cells?
Neutralise antigens
Agglutination of microbes
How do antibodies neutralise antigens?
By binding to that antigen
What are the given examples of toxins which antibodies neutralise?
Diptheria toxin (RNA Translational inhibitor) and tetanus toxin (blocks inhibitory neurotransmitter release causing muscle spasms)
What is agglutination of microbes?
The clumping together of microbes caused by antibodies binding on the surface of two adjacent microbes, preventing infection
What are large clumps of microbes and antibodies called?
immune complexes
What eliminate immune complexes?
phagocytes
How do antibodies stimulate removal of microbes by phagocytes?
opsonisation
Microbes are “tagged” by antibodies, enhancing phagocytosis
Which receptors expressed on the phagocytes surfaces recognise antibody tagging (opsonisation)?
Fc receptors
What other immune responses do antibodies trigger?
Complement activation
Natural Killer Cells
How do antibodies stimulate complement activation?
Antibodies bind to antigens, resulting in conformational change in antibody structure, exposing a binding site for C1q (the initiating factor of the classical complement pathway)
How do antibodies stimulate activation of natural killer cells?
Antibodies bind to antigens
Fc regions of bound antibodies are recognised by Fc receptors on surface of NK cells, activating NK cells and killing antibody coating cell
What is the structure of an antibody?
Large Y shaped globular glycoproteins, made of 4 polypeptides held together by disulphide bridges
What are the disulphide bridges like in antibodies?
2 identical heavy chain, 2 identical light chains, each containing a variable region and a constant domain