Lecture 1

Question 1

What are the 5 general aspects required by a successful immune system?

Answer 1

Tolerance
Specificity
Recognition (of microbes and self)
Destructive power (tumors, microbes)
Memory

Question 2

Name three examples of BARRIER defence of the innate immune system.

Answer 2

Strong adhesion between barrier cells of epithelium

Trapping of pathogens by mucous membranes

Rapid turnover of barrier cells helps remove pathogens they have caught

Question 3

Name three examples of SECRETION defences of the innate immune system.

Answer 3

Sebum (low pH) is antibacterial

Lysozymes in tears targets peptidoglycans

Cationic cryptidins and defensins produced by epithelial cells

Question 4

Name three examples of non-specific inflammatory mediators released by phagocytes of the innate immune system.

Answer 4

Prostaglandin

Leukotriene B4

Platelet activating factor

Question 5

What are the 3 main functions of phagocytic cells?

Answer 5

Trap/engulf and destroy pathogens
Secrete cytokines
Process and present antigen

Question 6

Name 5 key PAMPs

Answer 6

Any of:

• LPS
• bacterial lipoproteins & lipopeptides
• porins (gram neg cell wall)
• peptidoglycan
• lipoteichoic acids (gram pos cell wall)
• flagellin
• N-formylmethionine
• zymosan (yeast cell wall)
• dsRNA
• ssRNA (viral)

Question 7

Name 3 key ENDOCYTIC PRRs of the cell surface.

Answer 7

Any of:

• mannose receptors
• bacterial scavenger receptors
• N-formylmethionine receptors
• opsonin receptors

Question 8

Name 5 key SIGNALING PRRs of the cell surface.

Answer 8

Any of:

• TLR1/TLR2 pair
• TLR 2
• TLR 4
• TLR 5
• TLR2/TLR6 pair

Question 9

What do bacterial scavenger receptors recognise?

Answer 9

LPS, peptidoglycan and teichoic acids of the bacterial cell wall

Question 10

How do opsonin receptors work?

Answer 10

One part of the receptor binds the PAMP and another part binds a receptor on the phagocytic cell. The connection stimulates phagocytosis of the microbe.

Question 11

What are three examples of opsonin receptors?

Answer 11

Acute phase proteins
Complement proteins
Antibodies’ Fc receptor

Question 12

Name 2 things TLR 2 can recognise?

Answer 12

Any of:

Peptidoglycan, bacterial lipoproteins, lipotechoic acid, porins

Question 13

Name 2 things TLR 4 can recognise?

Answer 13

Any of:

LPS, fungal mannan, heat-shock proteins, viral envelope proteins, parasitic phospholipids

Question 14

Which PRR recognises flagellin?

Answer 14

TLR 5

Question 15

What are the four ENDOSOMAL PRRs?

Answer 15

TLR3, TLR7, TLR8, TLR9

Question 16

What does TLR 3 recognise?

Answer 16

viral dsRNA

Question 17

What does TLR 7 recognise?

Answer 17

viral ssRNA

Question 18

What does TLR 8 recognise?

Answer 18

viral ssRNA

Question 19

What does TLR 9 recognise?

Answer 19

CpG DNA (bacterial)

Question 20

What are the two types of cytosolic PRRs?

Answer 20

NOD-like receptors

RIG-like receptors (RLRs)

Question 21

What do NOD-like receptors recognise?

Answer 21

Peptidoglycans

Question 22

What do NOD-like receptors regulate?

Answer 22

Initiate pro-inflammatory pathways via NFkB signaling

Question 23

What do RLRs recognise?

Answer 23

viral ssRNA and dsRNA

Question 24

What do RLRs regulate?

Answer 24

NFkB signalling and also interferon release

Question 25

What are some targets for damage recognition receptors?

Answer 25

Mitochondrial DNA, heat shock proteins, adenosine metabolites

Question 26

What does an NK cell require to initiate killing of a cell?

Answer 26

Presence of an activating ligand

Absence of an inhibiting ligand