lecture 8 Flashcards
protein structure II: fibrous and globular proteins
what type of protein is an immunoglobulin?
large globular proteins
what type of protein is insulin?
a small globular protein
describe what immunoglobulins do?
1) antibodies that provide a defense against invasion of the body by foreign organism
2) mark foreign invaders for destruction by phagocytic cells
3) bind to antigens on the invading organism
4) the epitope is the actual site of attachment for the antibody on the antigen
5) lots of diversity
what is the actual site of attachment for the antibody on the antigen?
the epitope
what immunoglobulins also known as?
antibodies
describe the structure of the immunoglobulin?
its a globular protein, base structure is a tetramer, chains forms a flexible Y-shaped molecule, L is linked by disulfide bonds and the two H chains are linked by disulfide bonds
what is the base structure of the immunoglobulin?describe it?
tetramer; pairs of heavy (H) and light (L) chains, H2L2
what shape is the immunoglobulin?
Y-shaped
for the immunoglobulin, how is the tetramer linked, describe how the L and H chains are linked?
L is linked by disulfide bonds, the two H chains are linked by disulfide bonds
what type of protein structure do immunoglobulins contain? is there anything that makes it special?
both alpha and beta secondary structure; Yes, they have domains that impart special function, including the antigen binding site and constant region
on the antibody structure, what contains the antigen binding site?
the arms of the Y contain the antigen binding site, one per arm
in the antibody structure, what are the H and L composed of?
variable (V) and constant (C) domains
in the antibody structure, how many H domains and name them?
four H domains, V sub H, C sub H 1-3
in the antibody structure, how many L domains and name them?
two L domains, V sub L and C sub L
what is responsible for antibody specificity?
the variable domain
what forms the bulk of the antibody?
constant domain
what are the main secondary structures of the antibody comprised of? does it contain carbohydrates, Y/N? explain
strands of Beta sheet; Yes, these are bound to the C sub H domains
how many classes of antibodies are there? name them
5 classes of immunoglobulins/antibodies
α H chain: IgA γ H chain: IgG μ H chain: IgM δ H chain: IgD ε H chain: IgE
how is antibody class determined?
Heavy Chain Constant region (C regions of H chains) and specificity for antigen determined by
Variable region on the Heavy and Light Chains
what is IgA?
main antibody of external secretions (e.g., tears, saliva) thus serving as the first line of defense
what is IgG?
main circulating Ab in blood. Only IgG’s can cross placental barrier to confer protection on fetus
what is IgM?
first antibody to appear in blood in an immune response, some external secretions
what is IgD?
works with β cells, function not well known
what is IgE?
mediates allergic reactions