IMMUNE Flashcards
innate cellular component
Phagocytes (neut, macrophage)
Natural killer (NK cells)
Dendritic cells
Mast cells
innate humoural
Cytokines (IFN, IL)
Complement proteins
adaptive cellular
T cell
B cell
adaptive humoural
Cytokines
Antibodies (from B cell
composition of Ab
4 pp
2 light chain
2 heavy chain
Ab binding sites
• 2 antigen-binding fragments (Fab)
○ Bind to antigen
○ DIFFER FOR EACH AB
• 1 constant fragment ( Fc)
○ Immune triggering module
○ Biological effector
® Binds to (macro, NK, neut via Fc receptors)
○ Bind to complement proteins
○ SAME FOR ALL Ig
components of Fab
Fab: light chain (VL), heavy chain (VH) – variable domain
• s-s disulfide bonds
• Cysteine interchain and intrachain
• 3D conformation
•Recognise epitope in antigen for binding
components of Fc
Fc: CL, CH
• Glycosylation
• Add carbohydrate chain to aa
• Post-translation modification
○ Bind to effector cells
○Bind to complement proteins
Complementarity-determining region
CDR purpose
responsible for diversity of antigen specificities of AB produced by mature B cells
CDR structure
1) 10-20 bases, sparsely arranged/ folded
2) Each Fab arm, acid sequence in variable domain of both VH and VL chains
a. Arranged to form 3 CDRs
how mancy CDR in 1 Ab
1 AB = 2 identical Fab =
3 CDRs x2 (light, heavy) x 2Fab = 12CDRs per AB
paratope definition
a) Part of Fab region
b) Antigen-binding site. Binds to epitope
c) Tip of Fab arm
how many CDR in 1 paratope
Consist of 6CDRs (3- light chain/ 3- heavy chain)
a. CDR1
b. CDR2
c. CDR3
antigen affinity measures
strength of interaction between antibody (paratope) and antigen (epitope)
• High affinity binds strongly
• At single antigenic site
Ab specificity
GOODNESS of fit between paratope and antigen
• Ability of paratope in AB to distinguish similar and dissimilar antigens
• Low specificity = cross reactivity = paratope react >1 epitope
avidity vs affinity
• strength which AB binds to target
• if target has Multiple antigenic sites (multiple epitope on antigen) – IgM binds
T cells possess TCR for
T cells possess TCR for
antigen recognition and activation
TCR responsible for binding to peptide antigens presented on MHC class II
structure of TCR
Found on surface of T cells
α chain and β chain (each chain encoded by specific gene)
- 2 extracellular domains (glycosylated)
Variable (V) region - bind to antigen
Constant region
- transmembrane region (hydrophobic region)
- short cytoplasmic tail (hydrophilic region)
TCR V and C region structures
2 extracellular domains (glycosylated)
Variable (V) region
Constant region – cysteine residue for disulfide bond to link a and b chain
TCR 3 domains
A) 2 extracellular domains (glycosylated)
• Variable (V) region - bind to antigen
• Constant region (cys residue disulfide bond to link α chain and β chain)
○ 3D conformation
B) Transmembrane region (hydrophobic, cuts phospholipid region)
C) short cytoplasmic tail (hydrophilic)
α chain and β chain arranged to ensure
• antigen recognition/ binding
• Docking onto the plasma mem
• Cytoplasmic tail too short to mediate signal transduction for T cell activation
Upon TCR-antigen binding
tyrosine residues in ITAMs is phosphorylated
1) Post-translational modification
2) Initiate downstream T cell signaling event
3) T cell activation
α chain and β chain has invariant CD3 dimers (adapter proteins)
CD3e, Cd3y, CD38, CD3z
=CD3ey, CD3e8, CD3zz
Form octameric complex in plasma mem
6 monomers = 3 dimers
CD3 has ITAMS =
immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif
(mediates signal since tail too short)
CD3 has ITAMS =
immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif
1 TCR =
10 ITAMs
i) CD3e = 1 ITAM monomer x 2 = 2
ii) CD3y = 1 ITAM monomer x 1 = 1
iii) CD38 = 1 ITAM monomer x1 = 1
iv) CD3 z = 3 ITAMs monomer x2 = 6
Ab vs TCR differences
• CDR is AB responsible for antigen recognition and binding
• AB binds to diverse antigens
• 12 CDRs per AB (3x 4 chains)
• Activate effector cells
• TCR forms complex with CD3 adaptor proteins but TCR responsible for binding to peptide antigens presented on MHC class II
Only those presented on MHC
6 CDRs per TCR
similarity between TCR and Ab
• Have variable regions (Fab, extracellular TCR region)
• Variable regions (Va, Vb of TCR — VL, VH of AB)
• Variable regions are antigen binding sites
• Constant regions
• Disulfide bonds
• Glycosylation at constant region
• Member of immunoglobin superfamily
B cells origin
Virgin B cells express B cell receptor
Leave bone marrow (development: progenitor B cells rearrange Ig genes.
Clones of immature B cells express B cell antigen receptor)
• Found in circulation
• found in 2nd peripheral lymphoid tissues
activation of B cell
1) Virgin B cell encounter pathogenic antigens
2) Activated, mature
3) Produce, secrete IgM (first response, pentameric)
B cell variability by:
1) somatic recombination
2) class switching
3) affinity maturation
CLASS SWITCH
gene rearrangement of constant regions in Fc domain in IgM
• Mature B cells switch production to IgG
• 1st response = IgM (produced by naïve B cell)
• After exposure to antigen, 2nd response = higher affinity AB
AFFINITY MATURATION (gene shuffling)
each B cell clone continue to undergo gene rearrangement, shuffling under low dose of antigen
• VL, VH regions of Fab domain of IgG genes
• Each B cell clone ends up a diff hypervariable CDR
○ Aa seq diff
○ Diff antigen specificity: hypervariable CDR
○ IgG produced by diff mature B cell clones have diff CDRs (diff aa seq, diff antigen specificity) recog diff epitope of antigen
§ Each B cell prod AB to 1 epitope
T lymphocutes types
• CD4+: T helper
• CD8+: cytotoxic T cells
T cell develop
T lymphocyte progenitor travel from bone marrow to thymus (lymphoid tissue) develop into T lymphocytes
• Localized in:
• Primary lymphoid tissue
• 2nd peripheral lymphoid tissue (lymph nodes, spleen
T cell activation
1) Virgin T cell encounter pathogenic antigens
2) Activated, mature
3) Release cytokines, activate other effector cells
genetic recombination of T CELL
DNA segment in genes encoding Va and Vb regions of TCR
• Unique combination of segments for each recombined TCR expressed by individual somatic T cell
○ Va:
§ VJ recombine
§ CDR1a, CDR3a
○ Vb:
§ VJ recombine
§ VDJ recombination
□ CDR1b, CDR2b, CDR3b
Va (in a chain of TRCR)
○ Va:
§ VJ recombine
§ CDR1a, CDR3a
Vb (in b chain of TRC)
§ VJ recombine
§ VDJ recombination
CDR1b, CDR2b, CDR3b
why TCR diversity
allows diff T cells to recognise and bind to diff antigens presented by MHC molecules
lymphoid tissues
1) thymus, bone marrow
2) lymph node, spleen, tonsils
T cell memory (like B cell) develop
• After infection
• Antigen-driven EXPANSION of antigen-specific T cells
○ Clear antigen
○ Effector T cells die after combat with pathogens
• Remaining antigen-specific T cells differentiate to memory T cells
memory cells found in
○ Located in lymphoid tissues, bone marrow, specific organs (intestines, lungs, skin
purpose of memory cells
○ Respond more quickly, bind to antigens (shorter lag time)
§ Faster, more potent T cell-mediated immune response
§ When encounter same antigen
MHC proteins purpose
Major Histocompatibility complex (MHC)/ Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA)
• Cell surface proteins needed for adaptive immune system to function. IMMUNE FUNCTION:
MHC 2 immune functions
○ Bind peptide fragments (antigen) and display for recognition by T cells
○ Aid immune system distinguish self from non-self/ foreign antigens
MHC 2 immune functions
1) Bind peptide fragments (antigen) and display for recognition by T cells
2) Aid immune system distinguish self from non-self/ foreign antigens
ADAPTIVE immunity by cell-mediated
§ Executed by cytotoxic T lymph (CTLs)
□ Secrete perforin to promote form holes/ apoptosis
§ Lyse infected cells
§ Pathogen/ antigen clearance
adaptive humoural response
§ AB secreted by plasma cells
§ AB recognise and bind to specific epitopes expressed by pathogens
§ Followed by Fc domain in AB binding to Fc receptor (on effector cells)
□ NK, macro, neutrophils
□ Activated effector cells engulf/ lyse pathogens
□ Clear pathogen/ antigens
MHC genes
• Chrom 6 (contains MHC region: MHC class I, II, III), family of genes (>200 genes)
○ APC contains both MHC I, II
• ~50% of genes in MHC region are encoding proteins having immune functions
MHC subtypes coded from MHC region
1) class I – apc
2) class II – apc
3) clas III
what class to activate adaptive (APC)
• Class II
• In APC (maco, dendritic, B cells)
how activation is done with MHC
1) Invading pathogen recognised by APC
2) Engulfed by phagocytosis
3) Bacterial proteins broken up into peptide fragments (antigenic fragment)
4) Each MHC class II protein binds to antigenic fragment
5) Peptide-MHC II (on APC) presented to helper T cell (CD4+)
i. IL2, other cytokines released
ii. Cell-mediated immune
iii. Humoural immunity (AB)
MHC II presents__ to CD4 T cell
Bind to peptide fragment of EXOGENOUS antigens
Foreign antigens from invading pathogens
peptide-MHC II
how is peptide-MHC II formed?
- Exogenous antigens taken into APC (phagocytosis) by endosome
- Degraded by proteases to peptide fragment
- Process of peptide-MHC II involve ER
Present onto surface for antigen presentation to CD4