Immunology Exam 3 Flashcards
What happens when B cells are activated?
They proliferate, expansion of antigen specific clones and differentiation into plasma cells
Do plasma cells secrete antibodies?
YES
Do memory cells secrete antibodies?
NO
Heavy chain/isotope switching
When during differentiation B cells produce antibodies of different heavy chain classes that mediate different effector functions and combat different types of microbes
Affinity maturation
Affinity of antibodies specific for microbial proteins increases during the response to microbes
Have an increase in antibodies with the improved capacity to bind to and neutralize microbes and their toxins
Why can T cells only help B cell responses to protein antigens?
T cells can only recognize peptides derived from proteins and displayed by MHC molecules
T-dependent antigens
Most protein antigens show no or weak antibody response
Therefore the B cells need T helper cell help
T-independent antigens
Polysaccharides, NA, lipids, and other multivalent antigens can stimulate antibody production without helper T cells
Responses are short lived and require direct activation of B cells by antigens as well as signals via the innate immune system without the role of helper T cells
What happens to antibodies made from helper T cells and protein antigens?
Have class switching and affinity maturation because helper T cells stimulate these processes
Generate plasma cells and memory B cells
Most specialized and long lived responses are from protein antigens with helper T cells
Follicular B cells
Majority of B cells
Reside in and recirculate through follicles of the lymphoid organs
Are majority of T dependent B cells with class switching and plasma cell creation and high affinity antibody responses
Marginal-zone B cells
Peripheral region of splenic white pulp and in outer rim of follicles of lymph nodes
Respond to polysaccharide and lipid antigens mostly
Express antigen receptors of limited diversity and make T independent IgM responses
B-1 cells
Mucosal tissues and peritoneum
Respond to multivalent polysaccharide and lipid antigens
Express antigen receptors of limited diversity and make T independent IgM responses
IgM can be produced spontaneously without immunization
Natural antibodies
IgM can be produced spontaneously without immunization via B-1 cells
Help clear dead cells that underwent apoptosis and provide protection against some bacterial pathogens
Secondary response
Increased heavy class chain switching and affinity maturation
Repeated stimulation by protein antigen leads to an increase in the number and activity of antigen-specific helper T cells
B cell antigen receptor mediated signaling requires…
Crosslinking of two or more Ig molecules
Two or more antigen molecules in an aggregate, or repeating epitopes of one antigen molecule, bind to adjacent membrane Ig molecules of a B cell
After the crosslinking, signals are transduced by receptor-associated proteins
IgM and IgD on naive B lymphs
Highly variable antigen-binding regions
These membrane receptors have short cytoplasmic tails so they do NOT transduce signals themselves
The proteins associated with them (Ig-alpha and Ig-beta) transduce signals to form BCR complex
Ig-alpha and Ig-beta
Part of BCR which have ITAMs (immunoreceptor tyrosine motifs)
When two or more antigen receptors of B cell are brought together by crosslinking, the tyrosine’s on the ITAMs are P’ed by tyrosine kinases
SYK tyrosine kinase is recruited and P’s tyrosine residues on adaptor proteins
Adaptor proteins activate downstream molecules (like enzymes) to activate signaling cascades
Txn. factors are activated and then there is expression of genes responsible for B cell proliferation and differentiation
The complement system
A collection of plasma proteins that are activated by microbes and by antibodies attached to microbes and function as effector mechanisms of host defense
What happens when the complement system is activated by the innate immune system?
The microbe is coated with the proteolytic fragments of C3. One of the fragments is C3d. B lymphocytes have a receptor for C3d (CR2, or CD21)
What happens when CR2 is engaged on B cells
C3d has been bound and the antigen dependent B cell activation is enhanced via activating ITAMs
How do microbial products directly activate B cells
Engage in innate pattern recognition receptors
Pathogen-associated molecular patterns of microbes bind to TLRs on PM or endosomes of B cells which causes signaling pathways that work with signals from the antigen receptor
These two signals causes B cell proliferation, Ig secretion, and differentiation
What do protein antigens do to B cells then?
They do not stimulate high levels of B cell proliferation, they induce changes in B cells that enhance their ability to interact with helper T lymphocytes
What happens when protein antigen finds B cell?
It binds to BCR and the antigen is endocytosed then it is degraded and displayed by class II MHC to helper T cells
Therefore response to cytokines is enhanced
Migration from follicle of the secondary lymphoid organ to T-cell zone
Interactions of helper T cells and B lymphocytes in antibody responses to T-dependent protein antigens
Recognition of different epitopes of the same protein antigen by the two cell types
1. CD4 cells are activated by presentation of antigen by class II MHC by dendritic cells and then CD4 cells differentiate into cytokine producing, CD40 ligand having helper T cells
2. Naive B cells are activated in the follicle by exposed epitope on the same protein
3. The activated B and T cells migrate to one another and interact at edges of the follicles where initial antibody response develops
4. Some B and T cells go back into the follicles and form germinal centers where more specialized antibody responses are induced
How do B cells present antigens to helper T cells?
Bind protein antigens by their Ig and endocytose the antigens, process them in endosomal vesicles and then display them on class II MHC
Why do B cells present multiple peptides?
So helper T cells can recognize multiple epitopes of the same protein antigen later
What ensures B cell and T cell interactions are antigen specific?
B cells internalize the antigen they have receptors for and then helper T cells recognize peptides derived from the same antigen
Can B cells activate previously differentiated effector T cells?
Yes
They cannot initiate a response from naive T cells tho
Hapten-carrier conjugates
B cell binds hapten portion, ingests the conjugate and then displays the peptides to helper T cells
Antibody response is specific to the epitope recognized
The peptides derived from the carrier protein bring the T cell into this situation
B cell epitopes
Recognizes one epitope of an antigen and then displays different epitopes of the antigen for helper T cells
What is a hapten?
Small chemical recognized by B cells and stimulates strong antibody responses if it is attached to a carrier protein
Conjugate vaccine
Way to get antibody response against microbial polysaccharides
Polysaccharide is coupled to a protein. Then the B cells recognizes the polysaccharide and ingests it, displays it for T cells
This stimulates polysaccharide specific B cells
High affinity T dependent antibody responses are induced against the polysaccharide because helper T cells specific for the carrier are engaged
What is induced in a response to polysaccharides?
Isotope switching, affinity maturation, long lived plasma cells and memory cells
Results of conjugate vaccines
T cells recognize peptides from the attached protein
B cells recognize polysaccharide
Antibody response is specific for the polysaccharide
Is much stronger than T independent responses because helper T cells are able to participate
What do conjugate vaccines protect against?
Bacteria
Haemophilus influenzae, meningococci, pneumococci, and typhoid
How do helper T cells activate antigen-specific B cells?
When the helper T cells are activated by recognizing an antigen from B cells, they use CD40 ligand and secreted cytokines to activate antigen-specific B cells
Two ways helper T cells activate B cells
- CD40L ligand from T cells bind to CD40 on B cells
- Cytokines secreted by T cells bind to cytokine receptors on B cells
Both of these induce B cell proliferation and differentiation
Cells made from initial T-B cell interactions
Low levels of antibodies with switched isotopes and short-lived plasma cells that secrete antibodies for a few weeks
Where do fully developed antibody responses occur?
Germinal centers formed by lymphoid follicles and require helper T cells
Some helper T cells express chemokine receptor CXCR5 which pulls the cells into adjacent follicles
Follicular helper T cells (Tfh)
CD4+ cells that migrate into B cell rich follicles
Generation and function of them depend on the receptor of CD28 family called inducible costimulator which binds to its ligand on B cells
What do Tfh cells are their precursors secrete?
Cytokines such as IL-4 and IL-13
They determine which antibody isotope is produced by class switching
Germinal center
Few activated B cells and Tfh cells migrate to the lymphoid follicle to divide rapidly in response to Tfh signals
B cells undergo further class switching and somatic mutations of Ig genes
B cells made in early germinal center
B cells of moderate affinity develop into memory cells and exit germinal layer
B cells made in later germinal center
High affinity B cells are produced by repeated Ig mutation and selection
Eventually differentiate into long-lived plasma cells and memory cells
Where are proliferating B cells in germinal center?
Dark zone
Where does selection of B cells occur in germinal center?
Less dense light zone
How the immune system protects the body from bacteria and viruses
They coat (opsonize) them with antibodies so then they can by phagocytosed by macrophages and neutrophils
Best done by IgG molecules
What do IgG molecules do to antigen
Bind high affinity phagocyte Fc receptors for specific Fc portion of the gamma heavy chains
What stimulates the production of IgE antibodies?
Helminths
IgE binds and activates mast cells (have high affinity Fc receptors for epsilon heavy chain
IgA
mucosal immunity
How do IgG antibodies have a longer half life than IgM?
IgG is able to bind to a specialized Fc receptor (neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn))
FcRn
Expressed on the placenta and mediates the transfer of maternal IgG to the fetus
When it is expressed on endothelial cells and phagocytes it plays a role in protecting IgG from intracellular catabolism
What induces heavy chain class switching?
A combination of CD40L mediated signals and cytokines
What happens when CD40 or CD40L is absent?
B cells only secrete IgM
and fail to switch to other isotopes
Switch recombination
molecular mechanics of class switching
Taking former VDJ exon encoding the V domain and of an Ig micro heavy chain and moving it adjacent to a different C region downstream of the Ig heavy chain
Cytokines produced by Tfh cells do what?
Determine which heavy chain isotope is produced
Switching to IgE heavy class
Stimulated by IL-4 and IL-13 made by Tfh cells
Associated with helminth infections
Induce Th2 cells and related Tfh responses