Antibody Genes

Question 1

Cross-reactivity refers to ____________.

Answer 1

the ability of one antibody to react to more than one antigen (sometimes with similar amino acid sequences and sometimes not–with similar charge/hydrophilicity distributions)

Question 2

A toxoid is a substance _________.

Answer 2

whose toxicity has been negated by chemical addition but whose immogenicity is still intact

Question 3

Affinity maturation is _________.

Answer 3

the process by which antibodies become more matched to their antigen by slight modifications

Question 4

Describe the process behind rheumatic heart disease.

Answer 4

Laminin (found in heart valves) cross-reacts with group A streptococci. When antibody is made for group A strep, it can then bind to laminin sufficiently enough to produce symptoms.

Question 5

The variable region of the heavy chain expresses ______, while the variable region of the light chain expresses only ____.

Answer 5

VDJ; VJ

Question 6

In a heavy chain, ___ first joins with ____ before the complex joins with _____.

Answer 6

D; J; V

Question 7

Constant regions are ________.

Answer 7

spliced out of the primary mRNA transcript

Question 8

The enzymes that initiate recombination of B cell genes are called _______.

Answer 8

RAG-1 and RAG-2 (lack of which occurs in Omenn syndrome)

Question 9

What is the N region?

Answer 9

The region where VDJ segments join (so between V and DJ as well as D and J).