Adaptive Immune System Flashcards
What are antigen presenting cells required for?
To activate T-cells when there is an invasion
Help convey what the pathogen looks like
Where are antigen presenting found?
In strategic locations
What is the aim of the location of antigen presenting cells in strategic locations?
To optimise interactions with B and T cells
What strategic locations are antigen presenting cells found in?
Skin
Mucous membranes
Lymphoid organs
Blood circulation
How are antigen presenting cells found in the skin?
SALT (skin associated lymphoid tissue)
How are antigen presenting cells found in the mucous membranes?
GALT (gut)
NALT (nasal)
BALT (bronchial)
Give two examples of lymphoid organs
Lymph nodes
Spleen
How are antigen presenting cells found in blood circulation?
Plasmacytoid
Myeloid dendritic cells
What are antigen presenting cells involved in?
Pathogen capture
What is the importance of pathogen capture?
The first step of adaptive immunity
How are antigen presenting cells involved in pathogen capture?
Phagocytosis
Macropinocytosis
What gets phagocytosed in pathogen capture?
The whole microbe
What aids antigen presenting cells in phagocytosis during pathogen capture?
Antibodies and opsonins
What is macropinocytosed in pathogen capture?
Soluble particles
What does diversity in pathogen sensors allow?
The appropriate response to occur by the secretion of appropriate cytokines for both extracellular pathogens and intracellular pathogens
Give 4 different types of antigen presenting cells
Dendritic cells
Langerhans’ cells
Macrophages
B cells (BCR)
Where are dendritic cells found?
Lymph nodes
Mucous membranes
Blood
What do dendritic cells present do?
T cells
B cells
Where are Langerhans’ cells found?
Skin
What do Langerhans’ cells present to?
T cells
Where are macrophages found?
Various tissues
What do macrophages present to?
T cells
Where are B cells found?
Lymphoid tissues
What do B cells present to?
T cells
What framework do antigen presenting cells follow?
Capture - process - present
How are extracellular microbes identified?
By their PAMPs
What recognises extracellular microbes PAMPs?
Dendritic cells
What happens when a dendritic cell recognises an extracellular microbes PAMP?
They activate humoral immunity
What does the activation of humoral immunity by dendritic cells involve?
The activation of antibodies and complement opsonising the microbes for phagocytosis
What can identify intracellular microbes?
Dendritic cells that contain receptors inside their cytosol to detect viruses
What happens when dendritic cells identify intracellular microbes?
They activate cell-dependant immunity
What does the activation of cell-dependant immunity by dendritic cells involve?
The activation of cytotoxic (CD8+) T cells
The activation of macrophages and antibodies
Why are macrophages and antibodies activated in the activation of cell-dependant immunity?
To start phagocytosis
What does the activation of both humoral and cell-dependant immunity involve?
The presentation of the antigen by Major Histocompatibility Complexes (MHC) to initiate immunity pathways
What codes for MHC molecules?
Genes found on chromosome 6
Where are class I MHC molecules found?
On all nucleated cells, including dendritic cells, macrophages, and B cells
Where are class II MHC molecules found?
Only on dendritic cells, macrophages, and B cells
What type of expression do MHC molecules show?
Co-dominant
What is meant by MHC molecules showing co-dominant expression?
Both parental genes are expressed
What is meant by MHC molecules being polymorphic?
There are different alleles among different individuals
What does the polymorphic nature of MHC molecules lead to?
Different alleles among different individuals
What do MHC I molecules do?
Present peptides from intracellular microbes
What do MHC II molecules do?
Present peptides from extracellular microbes
What structural feature do MHC molecules have?
Peptide binding cleft
What is the peptide binding cleft of a MHC molecule?
Variable region with highly polymorphic residues
How specific are MHC molecules?
Broad, despite their polymorphism
What is the result of MHC molecules having a broad specificity?
Many peptides can be presented by the same MHC molecule
What do MHC I molecules elicit a response in?
CD8+ T cells
What are CD8+ T cells also known as?
Cytotoxic
What do MHC II molecules elicit a response in?
CD4+ T cells