Antibody development and function Flashcards
what are antibodies?
a soluble protein secreted by plasma cells
highly specific - each Ab recognises a single antigen epitope
how do the structure of antibodies relate to their function?
their variable domains contain an antigen-recognition site - Fab arms
heavy chain has Fc region for FcR binding or complement binding
- directs innate immunity to fight specific infection
why are B cells important?
- they secrete antibody
- highly diverse: 10^10 unique B cells
- each B cell expresses >10^5 copies of the BCR
- when binding antigen, they can develop into plasma cells or memory cells
- B cells are constantly turned over - tight regulation needed
where are B cells produced (foetus and adult)?
Foetal B cells are made in the liver
by birth B cells are made in the bone marrow
what is the key aim of vaccination?
Inducing Ab is a key aim of vaccination – target surface-exposed antigen
what is the consequence of failure to produce antibodies?
A failure to induce functional Ab responses increases risk of infection / childhood death – children lacking B cell compartment will die without treatment
- this disease is rare, as children don’t live long enough to pass on genes to next generation
what is the result of poor control of B cell responses?
autoimmunity and cancer
or lack of productive Ab response
how do individual naive B cells differ?
Individual naïve B cells express shared molecular signatures (eg CD19, CD20) but differ in their BCR diversity - one B cell recognizes one target
B cells look the same, but naïve B cell varies in its BCR – BCR confers its identity
what is the general life of a B cell?
- B cell precursor rearranges its Ig genes
- Immature B cell bound to self cell-surface antigen is removed from repertoire - negative selection of autoreactive B cells
- mature B cell migrates to peripheral lymphoid organs to engage foreign antigen - activation
- Encountering foreign antigen causes terminal differentiation into plasma cell or memory B cell to secrete soluble antibody
what does B cell development require?
Development requires the successive acquisition of properties that are essential for function:
- Allows host to control the process – quality control in development
how is B cell development controlled?
To enable CONTROL - B cells develop in a series of sequential steps
what is the process of B cell development?
- stem cell progenitor with germline H and L chains, with no surface Ig
- VDJ rearrangement of H chain from early pro-B cell to large pre-B cell
- functional H chain formed which is expressed at surface
- surrogate non-functional L chain scaffolds H chain at surface - ## VJ rearrangement of L chain in small-pre B cell
- surface expression of IgM in immature B cell
- immature B cell leaves bone marrow and differentiates into mature, naive B cell with surface expression of IgD and IgM, derived from differential H chain splicing
how efficient is B cell gene rearrangement?
Many joins are not productive - 70% fail for each chain
what drives somatic recombination?
RAG genes
what is allelic exclusion of light chains?
Rearrangements can occur from either inherited chromosome, but only one chromosome is used at a time
- There are 2 light chains, kappa and lambda, to choose from
- The two kappa genes are used first, then the two lambda genes - SEQUENTIAL and highly controlled
- This is called allelic exclusion and ensures that one B cell produces antibody of one specificity!!
what is the ratio of kappa:lambda light chain in normal blood of humans?
2-3:1 - this is used clinically
- when ratio is perturbed, indicates uncontrolled antibody production
why is one chromosome used at a time during H chain rearrangment?
H chain, L chain, 2 chromosomes:
- If process is uncontrolled – potential to make B cell with multiple specificities
- avoids non-specificity
what is the advantage of controlled recombination?
Using all potential genes raises the chance of making a successful BCR - enhances diversity
- makes BCR of single specificity
how is somatic recombination terminated?
Further recombination is stopped by preventing RAG expression or function
what does somatic recombination produce?
This leads to lots of individual B cells that differ in their BCR
- One B cell recognizes one target
- B cells with IgM, IgD, different surface molecules
- Broad repertoire of B cells which can recognise diversity of antigens
what kind of antigen do BCRs/Antibodies recognise?
Abs recognise conformational, 3D epitopes
how is B cell tolerance limited?
- B cells are removed or edited if they recognise self-antigens during development
- First wave of control for autoreactivity
- The self-antigens they can encounter/screened against are mostly extracellular and not intracellular – extracellular is easily accessed
- Therefore, this process is not perfect and some self- reactive B cells to intracellular self-peptides “get through”
- Hence why autoantibodies can target dsDNA or cytosolic antigens
what happens to an immature B cell that encounters multivalent self-antigen on the surface of cell?
multivalent antigen: same antigen copied next to each other on surface
- Lots of antigens to bind multiple surface BCRs – transmits signal of autoreactivity
Leads to clonal deletion or receptor editing
Easy to make Ab response to multivalent antigen than single antigen due to amplified BCR response
what happens to a naive B cell that encounters soluble self-antigen?
Could also encounter soluble self-molecule at lower conc on way to secondary lymphoid tissue:
- Strength of input signal is lower as they are spatially distanced
- B cell becomes anergic and can’t produce immune response, eventually dies