Adaptive Immunity Flashcards
What are the 2 types of adaptive immunity?
Humoral immunity - mediated by CD4 and B-lymphocytes
Cellular immunity - mediated by CD4 and CD8+ cytotoxic T-lymphocytes
*both branches are mediated by CD4+ helper T cells
What are the primary and secondary lymphoid organs?
Primary
- red bone marrow
- Thymus gland
Secondary
- spleen
- gut
- lymph nodes
What is an epitope?
The binding site on the Ag for the Ab
Describe what Ab T cells are
Helper T cells expressing CD4 and CD3
- secrete cytokines when activated
- aid immune responses
- can become memory cells
- TH1 and TH2 subgroups
Summarise Humoral immunity
Via fluid
Following infection, produces antibodies in plasma to neutralise specific infectious agent
What are the 2 types of MHC?
MHC class I : HLA-A, B and C
- expressed on all nucleated cells
- presents peptide to CD8 T cells
- signals for cytotoxic T cell response
MHC class II : HLA-D
- expressed on ‘professional’ APCs
- Presents peptide to CD4 T cells
- qualifies immune response: cellular/humoral
What is the role of IgM?
IgM is a functional Ig expressed on cell surface membrane
Acts as a B cell receptor associating with tyrosine kinases
Binding of anitgens to IgM activates tyrosine kinases and their signal transduction pathways
What is the difference between the different Ig classes?
Differ slightly in heavy chain constant region amino acid sequence producing different functions
What affects the binding of antigens and antibodies?
The complex binding is dependent on the Ab binding site being 100% complementary to the
Ag surface site
What are the different subsets of T cells?
- Ab T cells
- Cytotoxic T cells
- Regulatory T cells
- g/d T cells
Describe the structure of Antibodies (Ig)
Ig proteins are Y shaped tetramers composed of
- 2 identical light chains
- 2 identical heavy chains
Held together by non covalent interactions and disulphide cross links between Cysteine
residues
Each Ig molecule has 2 antigen binding regions
What are the dendritic cell sub types?
Langerhans cells (skin)
Interdigitating
Plasmacytoid
Follicular DCs (fibroblasts)
Approximately how many B cells are produced?
The body produces over 100,000,000 B cells each producing different Ig’s randomly
Each B cell can only make one Ig type specifically
Descendants of the original activated B cell produce clones of the Ig
How are antigens processed and presented to CD8 via MHC class I?
- Production of proteins in cytosol
- Proteolytic degradation of proteins (ubiquitylation)
- Transport of peptides from cytosol to ER via TAP
- Assembly of peptide Class I complexes in ER by ERAP
What are the 2 types of antibody light chains?
Kappa (ϰ)
Lambda (ℷ)
How does the thymus alter during humans lifetime?
Thymus enlarges during childhood and atrophies at puberty
Outline the antigen processing and presenting to CD4 for MHC class II expression
- uptake of extracellular proteins to vesicular
compartments of APC - Processing of internalised proteins in endosomal /
lysosomal
3. Biosynthesis and transport of MHC class II molecules to endosomes
- Association of processed peptides with MHC II
molecules in vesicles
(w/ CLIP & HLA-DM) - Expression of peptide MHC complexes on cell surface
How are B cells activated?
- Ag binds to IgM (B cell receptor)
- Stimulation of tyrosine kinase signal transduction
pathway - Co-stimulation via T cells
Outline the key features of CD8 activated Cytotoxic T cells
Express CD8 co receptor
Eliminate intracellular infections
Produce Il-2 TNFα and gIFN
Involved in anti-tumour immunity and transplant rejection
How is the antibody-antigen complex formed?
Antibodies bind to antigens via the following non covalent interactions
- Electrostatic
- Hydrophobic
- Van der Waals
- Hydrogen bonds
What is CLIP in MHC II formation?
CLIP is a Class II associated invariant chain peptide
How does T cell development occur?
In the thymus
Immature T cells mature in the bone marrow
Migrate to thymus to encounter self antigen
Many T cells undergo apoptosis during this process
Leave behind cells that generate useful immune response only
What is so significant about dendritic cells?
They are the only APC that can present to naive T cells
What are the different classes of Ig?
α - IgA β - IgM Ɣ - IgG δ - IgD 𝜺 - IgE
What is the exclusive role of Regulatory T cells?
Inhibit effector functions of CD4 and CD8 T cells
Inhibit antigen presentation function of B cells and other APCs
How do progenitor cells decide whether to differentiate into B or T cells?
In early develpmental stage, cells either pass to Thymus (T cells) or Bone marrow (B cells)
Describe the essential features of CD4 activated Regulatory T cells?
Express co receptors CD4, CD25, snd FOXP3
Maintain immune tolerance and suppress immune responses
Produce anti inflammatory cytokines IL-10 and TGF-β (SMAD receptor)
Contact dependent immunosuppressive effect
Describe the role of IgM
Produced by B cells during primary response
Initially made as membrane bound protein on B cell surface
Activates B cell signal transduction
Later made in secreted form
-> activates complement
-> acts as opsonin
Name some APCs
- Dendritic cells
- B cells
- Macrophages
- Endothelial cells under certain conditions
How can Fab and Fc fragments be produced from antibodies?
Ig treated briefly with proteases which cleave antibody at hinge region
When is TH17 most effective?
TH17 response is effective against extracellular bacteria and fungi
It is effective in
- promoting neutrophil mediated inflammation
- helping TH1 cells induce phagocytosis
- killing of pathogens
What are the essential features of cytotoxic T cells ?
Express CD3 and CD8 - kill infected targets when activated - become memory cells - cytotoxic in nature - release toxic contents of granules to kill
Outline how activated B cells carry out their function
Activated B cell secretes soluble IgM
- B cells multiply rapidly & differentiate into Ig secreting
cells - Produce IgM
3. Undergo class switching to produce specific Igs with antigen specificity & different heavy chain constant regions (e.g. IgG, IgA etc.)
What happens to lymphoid progenitor cells when stimulated by Antigens?
Upon stimulation by Ag, progenitor cells become one of 2 types of effector/memory cells:
- B cells
- T cells