lecture 33 - linking innate and adaptive immunity

Question 1

What are 3 key components of immune cell communication?

Answer 1

Soluble chemical messengers, surface bound ligands, antigens

Question 2

What are soluble chemical messengers and how do they lead to cell communication?

Answer 2

Soluble molecules (chemokines and cytokines) bind to chemokine and cytokine cell membrane receptors which triggers a cellular response.

Question 3

How are surface bound ligands involved in immune cell communication?

Answer 3

Cell surface-bound receptors bind to cell surface ligands which can relay between T and B cells, altering the function of one or both cells, by up or down regulating gene expression

Question 4

What are ligands, in terms of immunity?

Answer 4

Molecules that are relayed between cell surface receptors on different cells for communication.

Question 5

What are antigens, in terms of a pathogen?

Answer 5

A part of a pathogen that can be recognised by the immune system .

Question 6

How are antigens involved in immune cell communication, particularly in linking innate and adaptive immunity?

Answer 6

Dendritic and other cells can present antigens to T-cells by binding them to cell surface receptors, which triggers an adaptive response.

Question 7

What are the types of antigens?

Answer 7

Foreign and self antigens

Question 8

What are foreign antigens?

Answer 8

Antigens that come from outside the body - pathogens, chemicals, etc.

Question 9

What are self antigens?

Answer 9

Antigens produced by the body that the immune system is usually tolerant of and recognises as self.

Question 10

What is activated dendritic cell communication?

Answer 10

Process in which PAMP activated dendritic cells make cytokines and chemokines, utilise surface bound ligands and present antigens to active T-cells.

Question 11

What does MHC stand for in immunology?

Answer 11

Major histocompatability complex

Question 12

What is MHC, and what is its function?

Answer 12

A group of genes that code for cell surface receptors that are essential for the adaptive immune system

Question 13

What are the 2 types of MHCs?

Answer 13

MHC-I and MHC-II

Question 14

What is MHC-I?

Answer 14

MHC that is expressed on all nucleated cells, and is used to present endogenous/intracellular antigens to T cells.

Question 15

What is MHC-II?

Answer 15

MHC that is expressed only on antigen presenting cells (e.g. dendritic cells) and presents exogenous (extracellular) antigens

Question 16

What are endogenous antigens?

Answer 16

Intracellular antigens

Question 17

What are exogenous antigens?

Answer 17

Extracellular antigens

Question 18

What are cytokines?

Answer 18

Molecules that control immune cell growth and activity

Question 19

What are 2 key examples of cytokines?

Answer 19

Interleukins, interferons

Question 20

What are chemokines?

Answer 20

Molecules that stimulate leukocyte (white blood cell) migration.

Question 21

What immune system/s produce cytokine and chemokines?

Answer 21

Both innate and adaptive

Question 22

What are helper T cells?

Answer 22

T cells that have been activated in such a way that they can help B cells to make antibodies

Question 23

How do helper T cells activate B cells?

Answer 23

Making cytokines that bind to receptors on B cell membranes, and using their surface receptors to bind to B cell surface bound ligands.

Question 24

How can B cells be activated, aside from by helper T cells?

Answer 24

When complement fragments bound to antigens are recognised by B cell receptors.