Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

BIOM30002 - M2M > Lecture 1 - B cells - Immune Deficiencies 1 > Flashcards

Lecture 1 - B cells - Immune Deficiencies 1 Flashcards

1
Q

What are RSSs?

In which cells are they found in the DNA?

A

Recombination signal sequences
• These flank the V, D & J mini gene segments
• Nucleotide sequences recognised by the enzymes RAG-1 and RAG-2 → cleavage

RSS are found in all cells, as the immunoglobulin gene loci are present in all cells. The reason that the genes are not rearranged in all cells is that they do not express RAG1/RAG2

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What are the various enzymes that perform gene recombination of immunoglobulins?

A
  1. Site recognition and cleavage
    • Recombination-activating genes (RAG-1, RAG-2
    • HGM1
  2. NHE joining
    • Artemis
    • PKcs (protein kinases)
    • Ku70 and Ku80
  3. Ligation
    • TdT (addition of nucleotides to form N regions)
    • DNA Ligase IV
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Describe the function of RAG1 & RAG2

A
  1. Recognition of RSS sequences
  2. Cleavage
    • Induction of cleavage by making nicks in dsDNA
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What are the three steps in VDJ recombination?

A
  1. Site recognition and cleavage
  2. NHE joining
  3. Ligation
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Describe NHE joining

A

Enzymes bring the two ends together
• Artemis
• PKcs
• Ku70 and Ku80

These enzymes and the process are ubiquitous, i.e. this is how DNA is joined everywhere in the body

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Describe the stage of ligation

A
  1. TdT randomly adds extra nucleotides to the broken ends at VDJ junctions
  2. DNA Ligase IV joins up the DNA
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Which enzymes in the process of VDJ recombination are unique to B lymphocytes?

A
  • RAG1/2

* TdT (NB Process unique to the heavy chain)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

When do immature B cells leave the bone marrow?

A

Once they have a successful IgM and IgD on their surface

i.e. once they are mature

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

List the mutations that can disrupt B cell development

What two categories do they fall into?

A

– Mutations in the enzymes that drive recombination and development–

  • RAG
  • PAX5
  • E2A
-- Mutation in genes that transmit success signals --
 • Igα/β
 • BLNK
 • BTK
 • Syk
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Describe the structure of an immunoglobulin

A

Light chain:
• VL
• CL

Heavy chain:
• VH
• CH1
• CH2
• CH3

Chains held together by disulphide bonds
• 1x between heavy and light chain
• 2x at hinge region between the two heavy chains

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What are the features of large Pre-B cells?

A

Has Pre-B cell receptor:
• VDJ(h) + surrogate light chains
• Igα and Igβ signalling chains

NB Light chain in germ line configuration

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What are the features of pre-pro B cells?

A

Rearranging heavy chain: D(h) → J(h)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What is a pro-B cell?

A

Successfully rearranged DJ(h)

Rearranging V(h) → DJ(h)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What are SLCs?
Where are they seen?
Which transcription factor is required for their expression?

A

Surrogate light chains
• They are the same in every B cell
• They are seen in pre-B cells
• E2A required for their expression

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What are the different immunoglobulin loci in humans?

A
  • H
  • L(κ)
  • L(λ)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Which locus, κ or λ, is rearranged first?

A

κ

alphabetical order

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What do the ‘signalling’ molecules do in VDJ rearrangement?

Describe the mechanism of the pre-BCR checkpoint

A

Signal that rearrangement of the heavy chain was successful

  1. Heavy chain + SLC join with Igα and Igβ
  2. Signal transduction, involving:
    • Btk
    • BLNK
    • Syk
  3. ‘Success’ signal
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What is the structure of the pre-B cell receptor?

A

Heavy chain + SLC

The immunoglobulin is bound to the surface, but the light chains are yet to be made; SLCs take their place

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What are Igα and Igβ?

A

Signal transduction molecules

Transmit signal from the surface by a sequential cascade into the nucleus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Describe the pathogenesis of agammaglobulinaemia

A 
1. Mutation in part of 'success signal' 
 • Btk (→ leads to XLA)
 • Igα & Igβ
• μ heavy chain
• SLC
• BLNK
  1. Even though Ig is successfully rearranged, the signal is not there
  2. B cells development is halted
  3. No B cells in circulation, no Ab
  4. Recurrent infections
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What is the pathogenesis XLA?

A
  1. Mutation in Btk
  2. No transduction of success signal at the pre-BCR checkpoint
  3. B cell development does not occur
  4. No B cells (and thus Ab in circulation)

NB No problem with rearrangement of immunoglobulin

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What are the symptoms and features of XLA and other agammaglobulinaemias without B cells?

At what age do people with agammaglobulinaemia present?

A

• Recurrent infections: Strep. pneumonia, H. influenzae, otitis, sinusitis

  • Serum lacking immunoglobulin
  • No circulating B cells

Presentation at 3 years

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What happens to T cells in XLA?

A

Not affected

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What is a combined immune deficiency?

A

Both humoral and cellular immunity is lost

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

Describe Intravenous immunoglobulin treatment

  • Administration
  • Components
  • Efficacy
A
  • IgG derived from sera of other people
  • Given intravenously
  • High dose once a month
  • By end of month, the amount is still quite high despite decay

Efficacy:
• Not great
• Only 20% of people remained infection free over a period of 5 years
• This is because the Ab is static and can not be improved over the course of an infection

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

What is Subcutaneous immunoglobulin treatment?

A
  • Immunoglobulin self administered once a week
  • Much more convenient
  • Dosage can be better controlled
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

Which molecules in the pre-B cell receptor are vital for success signals?

A

Igα
Igβ
Btk
BLNK

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

What is Btk?

A

A kinase involved in signal-transduction at Pre-BCR checkpoint

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

What is BLNK?

A
  • An adaptor protein

* Involved in signal transduction of the success signal in Ig gene rearrangement

30
Q

What is a PID?
How many are there?

What are the classes?
Give some examples of each class

A

Primary immune deficiency
• Immune deficiency, not secondary to something else (e.g. infection, treatment, environmental exposure etc.)

There are over 200

8 classes:
1. Combined immune deficiencies
 • Both humoral and cellular immunity affected
e.g.
 • SCID
 • HIGM
2. Antibody deficiencies
 • Humoral immunity affected
e.g.
 • CVID
 • HIGM
 • XLA
31
Q

Are there such things as solely T cell deficiencies?

A

No, there aren’t.

B cell function is dependent on T cell function (especially CD4 T cells)

If there is a T cell deficiency, the B cell compartment will also be affected → combined immune deficiency

32
Q

What is gammaglobulin?

A

aka Immunoglobulin

aka Antibody

33
Q

Where do RAGs cut?

A

Between the gene segment and the RSS

i.e. the RSSs are cleaved out, leaving only the gene segments

34
Q

What are the different classes of heavy chain?

A 
(9 classes)
Alpha1, Alpha2
Delta
Epsilon
Gamma1, Gamma2, Gamma3, Gamma 4
Mu
35
Q

What are the different classes of light chain?

A

Kappa

Lambda

36
Q

Is Ig gene rearrangement conserved?
What does this mean?

Why would this be so?

A 
Yes
This means that similar Ig gene loci are seen in many different mammals:
 • Sharks
 • Platypus
 • Chicken
 • Mouse

This is because it is a very effective system

37
Q

How many different VDJ(h)/VJ(k) combinations are there?

38
Q

Which things contribute to Ig diversity?

A
  1. Ig gene rearrangement
  2. Combinatorial diversity: (heavy and light chain combination)
  3. Junctional diversity
39
Q

What other molecule is important for Ig gene recognition and cleavage?

How is it different from RAG?

A

HGM1

It is not unique to Ig gene rearrangement

40
Q

What is the function of Artemis?

A

Recognition and synapsis of NHE

41
Q

Describe the components of the BCR

A
  • Heavy chain
  • Light chain
  • Igα and Igβ
42
Q

What is the difference between XLA and HIGM?

A

XLA: no antibody or mature B cells
HIGM: only IgM, no CSR or SHM

43
Q

What is the mean age of diagnosis of XLA?

What normally leads to the diagnosis?

A

Mean age of 3

Recurrent infections:
• S. pneumoniae
• H. influenzae

44
Q

What determines which cells are affected in combined immune deficiencies?

A

Which gene is mutated

i.e. if the gene product is vital for NKs, B and T cells, then there will be a deficiency of all three

45
Q

Which mutation leads to T-B-NK-?

46
Q

Mutations in which genes lead to T-B+NK-?

A

γc chain

JAK3

47
Q

Mutations in which genes lead to T-B+NK+

48
Q

Mutations in which genes lead to T-B-NK+?

A

RAG1/2

Artemis

49
Q

What is the phenotype of mutation in ADA?

50
Q

What is the phenotype of mutation in JAK3?

51
Q

What is the phenotype of mutation in IL7Ra?

52
Q

What is the phenotype of mutation in Artemis?

53
Q

What is the phenotype of mutation in γc chain?

54
Q

What is the phenotype of mutation in RAG?

55
Q

What are the various treatments for XLA and HIGM?

56
Q

What is contained in Intragam?

A

IgG (all subtypes), with trace amounts of IgM and IgA

57
Q

Describe the features of SCID

What mutations give rise to SCID?
Which mutation is most common?

A

(Severe combined immunodeficiency disease)
A combined PID, thus affecting both humoral and cellular immunity

Susceptible to recurrent infections

Mutations:
 • Common gamma chain (most common)
 • ADA (2° most common)
 • Artemis
 • RAG-½
 • JAK3
 • IL-7Ra
58
Q

Describe diversity of odorant receptors

A

Odorant receptors are germ line encoded (unlike BCRs / Ig, which are rearranged)

Human have 400 functional odorant receptor genes (600 pseudogenes)

This is 1/30th of our genes (if we accept we have 30 000 genes)

59
Q

V regions differ between …

C regions differ between …

A

… all Ig molecules (unless they are from the same B cell)

… different classes of Ig

60
Q

How are the heavy and light chains of Ab joined?

A

Disulfide bonds

Between:
• 1x between Heavy and Light chain
• 2x at hinge region between heavy chains

61
Q

Describe the process of differentiation into mature B cells

At which stage does heavy chain rearrangement commence?

What about light chain rearrangement?

A
  1. ELP
  2. Pre-pro-B cell
  3. Pro-B cell
  4. Pre-B cell large
  5. Pre-B cell small
  6. Immature B cell
  7. Mature B cell

Heavy chain rearrangement: pre-pro-B cell

Light chain rearrangement: Pre-B cell small

62
Q

At which stage is Ig rearrangement complete?

A

Immature B cell

63
Q

What is the difference between immature and mature B cells?

A

Immature: completed Ig rearrangement

Mature: expressed IgD and IgM on the surface

64
Q

Why do predominantly boys get XLA?

A

Because the gene for Btk is on the X-chromosome

65
Q

What is the most common mutation causing agammaglobulinaemia without B cells?

A

XLA: i.e. Btk mutation

66
Q

How rare is XLA?

A

Rare: 1/250 000

67
Q

What is XLA due to?

A

Mutation in Btk

68
Q

List genes in which mutation causes combined immune deficiencies

A
  • ADA
  • Common γ chain
  • JAK3
  • IL-7Ra
  • RAG1/2
  • Artemis
69
Q

Compare SCIg and IVIg

A

Efficacy:
• SCIg might be better because it is administered weekly

Convenience:
• SCIg much more convenient, because it can be done at home

70
Q

Which mutation leads to X-SCID?

A

Mutation in the common gamma chain (encoded on the X chromosome)

BIOM30002 - M2M (36 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions