Exam 2: Dr. Pharr Immunity Mediated by B-cells and Antibodies Flashcards
What happens in the first week of the primary immune response?
- Recognition of antigen
- Activation by helper T cells. Formation of a primary focus
- Differentiation to short-lived plasma cells
What is a primary focus?
A pool of B cells resulting from the proliferation of antigen activated B cells over the course of about 3-4 days
What do short-lived plasma cells produce?
IgM to clear the infection
In the second week of the primary immune response, what steps are taken to protect against future infections with the same pathogen?
Development of antibodies with a new heavy chain isotype and with a higher affinity for epitopes derived from the original pathogen
Development of memory B-cells and long lived plasma cells
How many days are there before an immune response can be seen for the first time? Second time?
7-10
3-5
what is the outcome of signal one in the first week of the primary immune response?
Prepares B cells for collaboration with effector helper T cells
What is formed in the second week of a primary immune response?
Germinal centers
What is a germinal center?
A site of B cell proliferation in the B cell area of secondary lymphoid tissues
What are the functions of germinal centers?
Isotype switching
Somatic hypermutation
Differentiation into either antibody-secreting long-lived plasma cells or memory B cells
What does isotype switching allow for?
Efficient elimination of the pathogen
What happens in the process of somatic hypermutation?
Point mutations are generated in the variable region of the heavy chain and light chain genes
B cells in the germinal center are then elected for high affinity recognition of the original antigen epitope
What does somatic hypermutation allow for?
Efficient recognition of the pathogen
What does germinal center differentiation into either antibody-secreting long-lived plasma cells or memory B cells allow for?
Protection from reinfection and disease
What will long-lived plasma cells do?
Migrate to the bone marrow and secrete the higher affinity and isotype switched antibody that is observed during the later part of the immune response
What will memory B cells do?
Maintain surveillance of secondary lymphoid tissues
What characteristics of the antibody response will be helpful in preventing disease from the same pathogen?
- The antibody response occurs more rapidly
- Antibody levels will be higher than the level attained with the primary response
- The antibodies produced will have a higher affinity for the antigen epitope
- The antibody will consist of an isotype different from IgM
What are the 2 types of antigens encountered by B cells?
Thymus-dependent protein antigens
Thymus-independent non-protein antigens
What do thymus-dependent protein antigens require?
T cell help for B cell proliferation and differentiation
What can the repeated epitopes of thymus-independent antigens do?
Engage a number of B cell receptors
What is the multitude of signals with the thymus-independent antigen sufficient to do?
Induce B cell proliferation and differentiation to short lived plasm cells secreting IgM
This results in an early IgM response to an infection
Describe mature naive B cells
Diverse repertoire of antibody specificities–respond to thymus-dependent antigens
Require T cell help for activation
Located in secondary lymphoid tissues
Recirculate between the blood and lymphatics
Describe marginal zone B cells
Respond to pathogens in the blood
Differentiate to short-lived plasma cells secreting IgM
Located in the marginal zone of the spleen where blood is filtered