Handout 13: Effector Mechanisms of Humoral Immunity Flashcards
(167 cards)
What are the four main effector functions of Abs?
- neutralize microbes and their toxins
- opsonize them for phagocytosis of microbes (macrophage)
- sensitize them for Ab dependent cellular cytotoxicity (Ab dependent cytotoxicity)–(NK cell)
- activate the complement system which can result in 3 outcomes: phagocytosis of microbes opsonized with complement fragments (C3b), Inflammation, lysis of microbes
These various effector functions may be mediated by different Ab isotypes
What cell produces Abs and where are they produced?
Abs are produced by plasma cells in primary bone marrow and secondary lymphoid organs
Abs that mediate protective immunity can be derived from two different types of plasma cells. What are they?
short-lived and long-lived Ab-producing plasma cells
Are Abs limited to functions to areas around where they are produced or can they work in distant areas as well?
They perform effector functions in various tissues distant from their production
Many of the effector functions of Abs are mediated by what specific portion of the Ig molecule? Do all types of this part of the Ig have the same effector function?
Many effector functions are mediated by the heavy chain constant region (Fc) of Ig molecule. No, different Ig heavy isotypes serve distinct effector functions.
What must first occur for Ab effector functions to be triggered?
Ag must bind
What are the major differences between short-lived and long-lived plasma cells?
short-lived plasma cells:
generated during T-independent responses
may be generated early during T-dependent responses in extrafollicular B cell foci
are generally found in secondary lymphoid organs in peripheral non-lymphoid tissues
long-lived plasma cells:
generated in T-dependent germinal center responses to protein Ag
Are generated by signals from the BCR and IL-21 via a stage of their precursors called plasmablasts
Plasmablasts generated in germinal centers enter the circulation and home to the ____ where they differentiate into ___ ___ ___ ___
bone marrow
long-lived plasma cells
Typically 2 to 3 weeks after immunization, what becomes a major site of Ab production?
bone marrow
Is Ag always needed to secrete Abs or can it be secreted after the Ag is not present?
Plasma cells can continue to secrete Abs for months or even years after the Ag is no longer present. These Abs can provide immediate protection if the Ag is encountered later
How much of Abs in the blood is produced by long-lived plasma cells? What type of Ags are long-lived plasma- cells specific for?
50%
Long-lived plasma cells are specific for Ags that were encountered in the past
Where are memory cells generated? What kind of Ags do memory cells respond to? Can they survive without continuing Ag stimulation?
Memory cells are generated mainly in germinal centers for T-dependent protein Ags
Yes, Memory cells acquire the ability to survive without continuing Ag stimulation.
What kind of Ag receptors (high affinity or low affinity) do memory cells express? What kind of Ig molecules do they express?
Memory cells express Ag receptors of high affinity (mutated) and Ig of switched isotype
Which anti-apoptotic protein do memory B cells express?
They express high levels of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2
Are Ab production the highest/fastest during the first exposure or second exposure to Ag? Why?
Abs production is accelerated after secondary exposure to Ag because memory cells are activated in germinal centers during secondary exposure
Do all memory cells remain in the lymphoid organ?
No, they may remain in the lymphoid organ where they were generated but they can also exit germinal centers and recirculate between the blood and lymphoid organs
How Vaccine-induced humoral immunity works:
Name of infectious disease: Polio
Type of vaccine
Mechanism of protective immunity
Type of vaccine: Oral attenuated poliovirus
Mechanism of protective immunity: Neutralization of virus by mucosal IgA Ab
How Vaccine-induced humoral immunity works:
Name of infectious disease: Tetanus, diptheria
Type of vaccine
Mechanism of protective immunity
Type of vaccine: Toxoids
Mechanism of protective immunity: Neutralization of toxin by systemic IgG Ab
How Vaccine-induced humoral immunity works:
Name of infectious disease: Hepatitis A or B
Type of vaccine
Mechanism of protective immunity
Type of vaccine: Recombinant viral envelope proteins
Mechanism of protective immunity: Neutralization of virus by mucosal IgA or systemic IgG Ab
How Vaccine-induced humoral immunity works:
Name of infectious disease: Pneumococcal pneumonia, Haemophilus
Type of vaccine
Mechanism of protective immunity
Type of vaccine: conjugate vaccines composed of bacterial capsular polysaccharide attached to a carrier protein
Mechanism of protective immunity: Opsonization and phagocytosis mediated by IgM and IgG Abs, directly or secondary to complement activation
How do Abs neutralize microbes?
Abs against microbes and microbial toxins block the binding of microbes and toxins to cellular receptors
Without Ab: Infection of tissue cell by microbe–>Infected epithelial barrier cells (Infected tissue cell)
with Ab: Ab blocks the binding of microbe and infection of cell
How do microbes like influenza viruses and Gram negative bacteria infect cells?
Influenza viruses use their envelope hemagglutinin to infect respiratory epithelial cells, and Gram negative bacteria use pili to attach to and infect a variety of host cells
What specifically do Abs that bind to microbial structures do to interfere with the ability of the microbes to interact with cellular receptors?
Abs create steric hinderance to prevent infection
What do Abs do when microbes from an infected cell is about to infect an adjacent uninfected cell?
Infected tissue cells can release their microbe from dead cell and spread the infection to uninfected adjacent cell. Abs can block the infection of adjacent cell.