Immunology Flashcards
How does the innate system recognize microbes?
Receptors of innate immunity recognize PAMP (pathogen asoociated molecular pattern) on microbes. For example: endotoxin, terminal mannose of glycoproteins, double stranded RNA, unmethylated CpG nucleotides
What are the circulating effector cells?
- neurophils-early phagocytosis and kill microbes
- monocytes/macrophages and dendritic cells-phygocytose and kill microbes, present antigen to T and B cells. Secrete cytokines
- innate lymphoid cells
- NK cells
What is the sequence of events in the migration of blood leukocytes to the site of infection?
Epithelium injury by microbes
1) macrophages and dendritic cells ingest microbes and produce cytokines
2) cytokines activate enothelial cells to produce selectins, ligand for integrins, chemokines
3) neutrophils and monocytes bind weakly to selectin-slows them down
4) integrin ligand on leukocytes roll and encounter and bind to integrins on epithelial cells
5) leukocytes migrate from blood to tissue
6) inflammation
What are dendritic cells?
- Activated by microbes, produce cytokines that activate leukocytes
- Antigen presenting cells
What are innate lymphoid cells?
ILCs-produce effector cytokines
- lack antigen receptor
- regulate inflammatory responses
- e.g. LTi cell produces IL 17, IL22, lymphotoxin, functions in lymphoid tissue dev., immunity to extracellular bacteria
What are natural killer cells? and How are they activated?
- class of lymphocytes
- produces interferon-y(IFN-y), macrophage activating cytokine
- activated by cytokines produced by macrophages, e.g. interleukin-12 (IL-12)
How does the complement system work?
=collection of circulating and membrane associated proteins.
- three pathways
- role in stimulating adaptive immunity by presenting 2nd signal to B cells
How do microbes evade the innate immune system?
- capsules to inhibit phagocytosis
- production of catalase to break down ROS
- resistance to antimicrobial peptide antibiotics
- resistance to complement system
What are examples of cytokines of innate immunity? What is the role of cytokines?
- IFN-y and TGF-beta
- recruit leukocytes to site of infection: inflammation
- activate NK cells (which activate macrophages)
How does innate immunity stimulate adaptive immune responses?
innate immunes response generates 2nd signal which combines with antigen signal to activate T and B lymphocytes
What are some receptors of innate immunity?
Toll-like Receptors (TLR) 1-6. They are expressed in different cellular compartments.
How do Toll like Receptors (TLR) work?
They recruit adapter proteins->recruit and activate protein kinases–>activate transcription factors->gene transcription->expression of different cytokines
What are the components of innate immunity?
Epithelial barriers circulating effector cells dendritic cells innate lymphoid and natural killer cells complement system other plasma proteins
What are some examples of peptides produced by epithelia with naturla antibiotic function?
defensins- in neutrophils graunules
cryptocidins -produced by epithelium of intestine
What are leukocyte adhesion deficiencies?
defects in integrins and selectins causes defective leukocyte recruitment to site of injury–>susceptibility to injury
How do NK cells response when activated?
1) discharge proteins that create holes in plasma membrane of infected cells. Or enter cell and induce apoptosis
2) synthesize IFN-y, activates macrophages to kill microbes
How do normal host cells protect themselves from being attacked by NK?
normal host cells have Self Class I MHC (miajor histocompatibility complex) -inhibitory receptor on NK cells
Cell-mediated immunity vs. humoral immunity
cell mediated: mediated by T lymphocytes, eliminates intra cellular and phagocytosed microbes
humoral: mediated by B lymphocytes, eliminates blood borne microbes, activated by complement system
What kind of microbes do TLR 4 receptor recognize?
gram negative bacterial LPS, fungal mannans, viral envelope protein
How does epithelium prevent microbe entry?
1) physical barrier
2) locally produced antibodies kill microbes
3) intraepithelial lymphocytes kill microbes and infected cels
How do phagocytes ingest and kill microbes?
1) microbes bind to receptors on phagocytes
2) phagocytes zips up around microbe
3) microbe ingested in phagosome
4) phagosome fuses with lysosome
5) microbes killed by lysosomal enzymes and reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxides (NO)
What is the role of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)?
- a cytokine
- primarily from macrophages and T cells
- activates inflammation in endothelial cells
- activates neutrophils
- causes synthesis of acute phase proteins in liver
- causes apoptosis
What is the role of IL-12?
- a cytokine
- from dendritic cells and macrophages
- affects NK cells and T cells, inducing IFN y production
- T h 1 differentiation?
What does interferon gamma (IFN y) do?
- cytokine
- from NK cells and T lymphocytes
- activates macrophages
- stimulates some antibody response
MHC class I molecules recognize which cells? Where can you find MHC class I expressed?
CD8+CTL T lymphocytes to kill viral infected cells. All cells except RBCs
Which molecules do MHC class II present to? and where can you find MHC class II expressed?
CD4+helper T lymphocytes. Expressed on macrophages, B cells, and professional antigen presenting cells like dendritic cells.
What is the pathway for MHC Class II? I.e. where are peptides acquired and where do MHC bind them?
APCs ingest microbe, microbe in vesicle fused with lysosome. MHC molecules made in ER w/ invariant chain, transported to lysosome, fuses and bind peptides. MHC and peptide transported to cell surface, presented to CD4.
What is the pathway for MHC Class I? I.e. where are peptides acquired and where do MHC bind them?
Microbe in cytosol. Microbial protein unfolded and broken down in cytosol, transported into ER by TAP transporter protein, binds with MHC class I in ER, transported to cell surface to present to CD8.
What is the advantage of restricting T cell recognition to MHC associated peptides?
Means that T cells will only respond to cell associated antigens. MHCs can only be loaded by peptides form inside the cell. T lymphocytes will only respond to antigens that have been phagocytosed and intracellular pathogens.
Describe the structure of an antibody.
Two heavy chains and two light chains. Light chain has 1 V and 1 C domain, heavy chain has 1 V and 3 C domains. IgG is most common Ig, and can be separated into Fab and Fc fragments.
Describe TCR structure.
Has a alpha and beta chain, each with a V and C domain.
What are the mechanisms that generate diversity in Ig and TCR antigen receptors?
1) Multiple Vh/Vl and Valpha/Vbeta gene segments
2) somatic recombination of VDJ and VJ joining
3) random assortment of heavy and light or Valpha and Vbeta chains
4) junctional diversity
What is junctional diversity?
At the junctions of V (D) and J gene segments, TdT enzyme may add nucleotides and and an exonuclease may remove nucleotides. The ends are ligased together, but joining is imprecise.
What are the main characteristics of IgG?
- most abundant, long lived
- in blood and tissue?
- crosses placenta to protect fetus
- neutralizes bacterial toxins and viruses
- activates complement
- binds to pathogens to enhance phagocytosis
What are the main characteristics of IgM?
- First antibody in humoral immune response
- pentamers, low affinity, high avidity
- mostly in blood
- activates complement
What are the main characteristics of IgA?
- SECRETIONS, mucosal surfaces like intestinal, respiratory,
- forms dimers
What are the main characteristics of IgD?
- coexpressed with IgM
- secreted in upper respiratory mucosa
- involved in lymphocyte activation and suppression
What are the main characteristics of IgE?
- Monomer, looks like IgM
- low concentration in serum
- Allergic rxns and protection against parasites: binds to mast cells, antigen binding triggers degranulation and release of inflammatory mediators
- sensitizes for killing by eosinophils