Generation of B cell & Antibody Diversity Flashcards
What are antibodies?
➝ Y shaped molecules expressed by immune cells to target pathogens
What is the function of antibodies?
➝ Prevent bacteria entering cells
➝ neutralise toxins
What are the components of antibodies?
➝ two heavy chains and two light chains
How many classes do the heavy chains have and what are they?
➝ 5 classes
➝𝝻,δ,γ,ɑ,ε
What are the subclasses of the heavy chains?
➝γ1, γ2, γ3, γ4
➝ɑ1, ɑ2
How many domains is the heavy chain made of?
➝ 4 domains
➝ 1 variable region and 3 constant regions
How many domains is the light chain made of?
➝ 2 domains
➝ 1 variable region and 1 constant regino
What region is the same for antibodies of the same class?
➝ The constant regions
What is the constant region responsible for?
➝ biological activities
What does the variable region bind to?
➝ specific epitopes of specific pathogens
What are the two forms of antibodies?
➝ Secreted
➝ membrane bound
What is the final form of antibodies?
➝ secreted
During development where are the antibodies found?
➝ During development it is anchored to the plasma membrane of B cells
What are membrane bound antibodies also called?
➝ B cell receptors
What is the function of the antibody as a receptor?
➝ to sense changes in the environment
What can antibodies form when they are secreted?
➝ pentamers
What can B cell development be split into?
➝ Antigen independent stage in the bone marrow
➝ Antigen dependent stage in the blood and lymph node
Describe how plasma and memory B cells are formed?
1) a stem cell in the bone marrow differentiates into a Pro-B cell
2) the pro-B cell undergoes the first of the DNA recombinations (V ➝ DJ) that codes in the heavy chain variable region
a) it becomes a pre-B cell once it makes a functional heavy chain
3) the pre-B cell undergoes another recombination (V ➝ J) to code in the light chain variable and constant regions in its DNA
a) It then becomes in an immature B cell
4) The B cell then continues to mature until it expresses both IgM and IgD through differential mRNA splicing
5) it then becomes a mature recirculating B cell (patrol blood and spleen)
6) the mature recirculating B cells are reactivated when the body encounters a pathogen
7) they migrate into the germinal center (GC) to hone its variable region to the specific pathogen
8) it undergoes affinity maturation and class switching then it differentiates into plasma cells which secrete antibodies and memory B cells
What are changes at the DNA level called?
➝ Somatic recombination
What are 4 examples of somatic recombination?
➝ VDJ recombination
➝ Tdt nucleotide addition
➝ somatic hypermutation
➝ class switching
What are changes at the mRNA level called?
➝ Differential splicing
What are two examples of differential splicing?
➝ IgM and IgD
➝ membrane bound and secreted Ig
What is each chain made of in the antibody?
➝ one polypeptide
What is the structure of a polypeptide in the antibody?
➝ NH3 region at the N terminus
➝ the hinge region between CH1 and CH2
What is the hinge region of the antibody for?
➝ THis makes the antibody flex so the active site will exposed
What is attached to the CH2 region and makes part of the active site?
➝ Glycan group