Adaptive Immunity Flashcards
When B and T cells become activated, they divide and mature into _______ that actually do the job of fighting the microbe
When B and T cells become activated, they divide and mature into EFFECTOR CELLS that actually do the job of fighting the microbe
Humoral immunity:
The type of adaptive immunity that is mediated by antibodies produced by plasma cells. Humoral immunity is the main mechanism for defending against extracellular microbes and their toxins.
Cell-mediated immunity:
The type of adaptive immunity mediated by T lymphocytes; cell-mediated immunity is the main defense mechanism against microbes that survive within phagocytes (i.e., bacteria that causes Tuberculosis) or that infect the cytosol of non-phagocytic cells (i.e., viruses).
What is the effect of Helper T cells?
-Activate macrophages -Inflammation -Activation (proliferation and differentiation) of T and B lymphocytes -Eliminate phagocytosed microbes
What is the effect of Cytotoxic T lymphocytes?
Killing of infected cell
What is the effect of regulatory T lymphocytes?
Suppression of immune response
Describe the stages in the life history of T lymphocytes:
Naive T cells: migrate preferentially to lymph nodes, have no effector functions, and very low frequency of response to particular antigens. Activated/effector cells: migrate preferentially to inflamed tissues, have high response to antigens, and secrete cytokines; have cytotoxic activity. Memory cell: Some cells in lymph nodes, some in mucosa and inflamed tissue. Low response to antigen. No effector functions.
Describe the immunoglobulin serotype of B cells at various stages in life cycle:
Naive B cells - IgM and IgD. Activated B cells - IgG, IgA, IgE. Memory B cells - IgG, IgA, IgE
Compare/contrast B cell receptors (antibodies) and T cell receptors (TCRs)
B cell receptors recognize whole proteins, polysaccharides, lipids, and nucleotides. TCRs only recognize short peptides when they’re bound to the APCs. Antibodies can be expressed as membrane receptors or secreted proteins; TCRs only function as membrane receptors.
What is the serum concentration and secreted form of IgA?
3.5 mg/ml; mainly dimer (can be monomer or trimer)
What is the serum concentration and secreted form of IgD?
trace amounts; monomer
What is the serum concentration and secreted form of IgE?
0.05 mg/ml; monomer
What is the serum concentration and secreted form of IgG?
13.5 mg/ml; monomer
What is the serum concentration and secreted form of IgM?
1.5 mg/ml; pentamer
What are the main functions of IgA?
Mucosal immunity
What are the main functions of IgD?
Naive B cell antigen receptor
What are the main functions of IgE?
Defense against helminthic parasites, immediate hypersensitivity
What are the main functions of IgG?
Opsonization, complement activation, antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity, neonatal immunity, feedback inhibition of B cells
What are the main functions of IgM?
Naive B cells antigen receptor (monomeric form), complement activation
What are the effector functions of B lymphocytes?
Free antibodies can neutralize microbes. Also involved with opsonization and phagocytosis of microbes and anti-body dependent cellular toxicity. Within complement, involved with microbe lysis, inflammation, and phagocytosis of microbes opsonized with complement fragments (C3b)
MHC I:
MHC I molecules are found on all healthy nucleated cells in the body. MHC I molecules are designed to display peptide antigens that are found within the cytoplasm of cells. MHC I molecules and the antigens they present are mainly recognized by CD8+ cytotoxic T cells (and not by CD4+ cells)
MHC II:
MHC II molecules are restricted to specialized antigen presenting cells such as dendritic cells, macrophages and B cells. Unlike MHC I molecules, which display antigens from the cytosol, MHC II molecules display antigens from microbes within the cell’s vesicles. MHC II molecules and the antigens they display are mainly recognized by CD4+ helper T cells (not by CD8+ cells).
What are CD8+ T cells?
Cytotoxic T cells (these recognize MHC I)
What are CD4+ T cells?
Helper T cells (these recognize MHC II)
Antibody hypervariable regions:
Greatest diversity in the H and L variable regions are 3 hypervariable regions. Also called complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) because they bind antigen (i.e. it’s the surface of the antibody that has a complementary shape to the antigen). Hypervariable regions extend away from the protein so they can contact antigen
What are the heavy chain isotypes?
IgG, IgA, IgM, IgD, IgE
What are the light chain isotypes?
kappa and lambda
All isotypes are ______ in the membrane-associated form
monomeric
What is the structure of TCRs?
T cell receptor recognizes antigen in the context of MHC. Like antibodies, has two chains, 𝛼𝛽 OR 𝛾𝛿 (alpha-beta or gamma-delta). Each chain has a V and a C region. Binding area thus has a V-beta and V-alpha section (or V-gamma and V-delta) Has CDRs in variable region that bind antigen.
How do we generate antibody diversity (mechanisms)?
–Multiple VH and VL genes
–Combinatorial association of different V, D, and J gene segments
–Junctional diversity by nucleotide addition
–Combinatorial association of VH and VL regions
–Somatic hypermutation – non-genome encoded
What are heavy chain gene segments?
V, D, J, (and a constant region)
What are light chain gene segments?
V and J (and a constant region)
Within the V-heavy, which complimentary-determining regions (CDRs) are derived from which segments (V, G, J)?
CDR1 and CDR2 are derived from VH segment; CDR3 is derived mainly from DH and JH segments.
Within the V-light, which complimentary-determining regions (CDRs) are derived from which segments (V, J)?
CDR1 and CDR2 are derived from VL segment; CDR3 mainly from JL.
Antibody genes are in pieces and assembled during _____ development
lymphocyte
Each V gene segment has an accompanying leader (L) sequence that:
Codes for the N-terminal signal peptide that targets the proteins to the endoplasmic reticulum.
Describe the process of VDJ recombination:
- Chromatin is opened around gene segments to allow recombination enzymes access
- Two gene segments are brought together and a double strand break is made
- Nucleotides are added or removed (creates more diversity) and the ends ligated together
- RNA splicing of introns brings exons together → functional mRNA
Each B cell has a different combination of V gene segments and diversity due to:
addition of N/P nucleotides
Describe Recombination Signal Sequences (RSSs):
- These mediate recombination.
- These are composed of: 7 nt conserved stretch (heptamer - CACAGTG) separated by a 12 or 23 nt spacer, followed by a conserved AT-rich stretch of 9 nt (nonamer).
- These spaces are about 1-2 turns of a helix. A 12 can only join a 23.
For an immunoglobulin gene to be expressed, individual gene segments must first be rearranged to assemble a functional gene, a process that occurs only in:
developing B cells
Describe V(D)J Recombination by deletion:
•12 bp spacer segment synapses with a 23 bp segment
–In the case of VH, ensures that the DH segment is not skipped
–Also ensures that two VH segments do not join (or 2 DH or 2 JH segments, etc.)
- Cut between gene segment coding sequence and heptamer
- Ligate gene segments together
–Creates a circle of intervening DNA
Describe V(D)J Recombination by Inversion:
- In 50% 𝜅 locus, the RSSs are 3’ of the J𝜅 gene segment and recombination occurs by an inversion mechanism
- The intervening DNA is not removed by a circle but remains present
- RNA splicing of the primary transcript will remove these sequences
Rearrangement brings ______ close to the promoter, allowing ______ to occur (explain).
Rearrangement brings ENHANCERS close to the promoter, allowing TRANSCRIPTION to occur.
Promoter is 5’ of V segment and enhancers are in introns between J and C segments and 3’ of C region (3’-flanking sequence). Recombined DNA brings the enhancer closer and transcription proceeeds.
Non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) repairs WHAT?
Repairs double stranded breaks by joining the two broken ends together and ligating them. Does not require a template (homologous sequence) for repair.
Describe non-homologous end joining:
- Ku70/80 binds to break → recruits DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) → DNA-PK phosphorylates and activates Artemis endo-exonuclease → trims unpaired DNA → ligase complex (LIG4, XRCC4, XLF) ligates the DNA
- The joining process uses small (1-3 nt) single stranded regions of homology to enhance repair
Mechanism of VDJ Joining (Synapsis):
- Chromatin opens in developing lymphocyte to allow recombination enzymes access to DNA
- Gene segments undergoing recombination have nucleosomes with H3K4 hypermethylation
- Chromosome looping brings gene segments together
- Two recombination proteins, RAG1 and RAG2, form a complex and recognize RSS sequences
- RAG2 binds to hypermethylated H3K4 sites in chromatin and recruits and activates RAG1
Gene segments undergoing recombination have nucleosomes with ________
H3K4 hypermethylation
Two recombination proteins, ____ and _____, form a complex and recognize RSS sequences
RAG1 and RAG2
RAG1 nicks one strand and the single-stranded DNA forms:
forms a hairpin covalently with the other strand
Describe the mechanism of VDJ joining:
[Hairpins are opened and nucleotides added and removed at the junctions]
•Ku70/Ku80 bind to the breaks and recruits DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) that is a repair enzyme
–DNA-PK also phosphorylates and activates Artemis
- Artemis endonuclease opens the hairpins
- DNA polymerase fills in nucleotides (P nucleotides)
- Terminal transferase (TdT) adds nucleotides onto the broken DNA ends (N nucleotides)
- DNA Ligase IV/XRCC4 join the ends together