Innate Immunity- Immediate Response Flashcards
What are the three major categories of innate defenses?
Pre-formed defenses, immediate responses, and inducible responses
What is included in the mechanical immediate innate defenses?
Epithelial cells of skin and mucosal surfaces are joined by tight junctions, peristalsis, mucociliary elevator, tears, nasal cilia
What is included in the chemical immediate innate defenses?
Fatty acids (sebum) on the skin, Low pH and antimicrobial enzymes of the gut, pulmonary surfactant, antimicrobial enzymes in tears and saliva, and antimicrobial peptides
How do commensals contribute to the immediate innate immune defense?
By forming a physical barrier, competition for nutrients, and by producing growth inhibitors
In what layer of mucosal surfaces do commensal bacteria reside? Why?
Most are restricted to the outer layer of mucous, because the inner mucus layer is very dense and contains high concentrations of anti-microbial
What is the immune function of lysozyme? Which bacteria are most affected by it?
Digests peptidoglycan in bacterial cell walls; Gram positive
What are defensins and how do they contribute to immune defense?
Peptides that penetrate and disrupt membranes of bacteria, fungi, and viruses by forming pores. The membrane loses integrity and the microbe is lysed
What is the first defense system to respond to a pathogen that breaches the physical barrier defense?
The alternative complement pathway
What are the outcomes of activating the alternative complement pathway?
Direct destruction of the pathogen, induction of local inflammation, or routing of the pathogen to local macrophages for phagocytotic destruction
How and where are complement system proteins synthesized? How are they activated?
Synthesized as zymogens by the liver and activated by cleavage
What is complement fixation?
The attachment of C3b to a pathogen surface
What is the consequence of a C3 deficiency?
Recurrent and severe infections by pyogenic (pus-forming bacteria)
What are the three complement pathways?
Classical, Lectin, and Alternative Pathways
What step converges all of the complement pathways?
Cleavage of C3 to C3a and C3b
Why does the alternative complement pathway act first?
There is always C3 in the plasma, and it is constantly undergoing a low level of hydrolysis in fluids
What is the C3 convertase of the alternative pathway? Classical pathway?
C3bBb; C4b2a
What cleaves factor B in the alternative pathway?
Factor D
What is the function of properdin?
Stabilization of the C3b and Bb complex
What is the C5 alternative convertase?
C3bC3bBb
Which complement fragment triggers formation of the membrane-attack complex?
C5b
How does the membrane-attack complex kill pathogens?
C6-C9 assemble into the MAC, which kills by creating a pore in the microbial membrane leading to lysis
What is the classical C3 convertase? Classical C5 convertase?
C4b2a; C4b2a3b
What is opsonization? For which microbes is this process most necessary?
The coating of a pathogen by C3b (or antibody) so it is more readily taken up by phagocytes; encapsulated bacteria