Lymphocytes_Mandl Flashcards
(59 cards)
What are hallmarks of pyroptosis?
- Secretion of contents
- Inflammasome assembly
- Activation of caspase-1
- IL1-b secretion
*NOT DNA fragmentation (this is apoptosis)
What is clonal selection theory?
- Cells of the adaptive immune system, B and T lymphocytes, generate a RARE and UNIQUE antigen receptor from incomplete gene segments
- Each lymphocyte expresses only ONE antigen receptor specificity = expression is clonal
- All progeny from that single clone will inherit the same receptor specificity (clonal selection + expansion)
- only the lymphocytes which encounter an antigen to which their receptor binds will be activated to proliferate and become effector cells = clonal expansion
What is the general sturcture of immunoglobulin?
2x identical light chains + 2x identical heavy chains
Chains are connected by disulfide bonds
There is a hinge region at the y separation that confers flexibility to the immunoglobulin
- Membrane bound form of Ig = BCR
- Secreted form of Ig = Antibody
*They have the same antigen specificity and come from the same B cell
What is the result of a papain digestion?
Gives 3 subparts → 2x Fab region (Ag binding) + 1x complete Fc region (parts of both heavy chains still connected)
What is the purpose of the Fc region?
non-Ag binding portion, can:
- Bind to Fc receptors on phagocytic cells
- Bind to C1q complement
- Regulate secretion
What is the result of a pepsin digestion?
get linked Fab = F(ab)2 + Fc fragments
*Both light chains are still connected through part of the heavy chains
How are antigens bound by immunoglobulins?
Vh (variable heavy) and Vl domain pairs from the antigen-binding site at the tip of each arm of Ig
- Formed by 3 hypervariable loops in each of the polypeptides = complementarity-determining regions (CDR1, 2 and 3)
- Ig can bind to pockets, grooves, extended surfaces of knobs within the antigen binding site
- Can recognize linear and conformational epitopes
- In addition to proteins can bind: polysaccharides, lipids, small molecules, etc
How is the structure recognized by an Ig called?
Antigenic determinant = epitope
What are the 5 major classes of heavy chains? And 2 classes of light chians of antibodies?
Light chains → lambda (l) and kappa (k)
Heavy chains → gamma, μ (mu), alpha, epsilon, delta, corresponding to the 5 immunoglobulin classes: IgG, IgM, IgA, IgE, IgD = isotypes
What differentiates IgG, IgM, IgA, IgE and IgD?
IgM and IgE → 5 C domains in their heavy chains
IgG, IgD, IgA → 4 C domains in their heavy chains
Also differentiated by their assemblies (monomers, dimers, pentamers), which dictates where they are found in the body.
- IgM in serum is always a pentamer
- IgA can be monomers, dimers, trimers
- IgG can be further subdivided into IgG1, IgG2a, IgG2b, IgG3
Ex: IgA and IgM are good at being transported across epithelial layers
What is class-switching?
When an Ig becomes a different isotype
ex IgG → IgA
*Different isotypes are better at different functions (ex: IgGs are best at neutralizing)
How do neutralizing Abs function?
Reminder: Abs are the secreted immunoglobulins of B and T cells (antigen specific)
They bind to their receptors to: block the action of toxins, prevent pathogens from infecting cells (prevent them from binding their receptor by binding the receptor)
What is opsonization?
Coating with antibody facilitates phagocytosis via FcR binding
*non-neutralizing effect of Abs
What are 3 possible ways antibodies mediate responses to extracellular forms of pathogens and their toxic products?
- neutralizing Abs → Ingestion by macrophages
- Opsonization → Ingestion by macrophages
- Complement activation → Lysis and ingestion
What is the structure of the BCR?
BCR = membrane-bound for of Ig → identical structure to antibodies
- Modified c-terminus of heavy chain to anchor BCR into plasma membrane
- Hase 2x light chains + 2x heavy chains
- Before activation B cells express IgM and IgD
- BCR requires invariant signaling proteins, Iga (CD79A) and Igb (CD79B), to transmit the signal (as they have to short of an intracellular portion)
ITAM = immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motifs (on the intracellular portion of Igalpha and Igbeta) → gets phosphorylated of the BCR binds to its antigen
What are the invariant signaling proteins/coreceptors of the BCR?
Ig alpha (CD79A)
Ig beta (CD79B)
*They dimerize and have an ITAM (immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motifs) which gets phosphorylated when BCR binds its antigen
What is involved/required for B cell activation?
- Multiple BCRs on a B cell bind their specific antigens
- Receptor cross-linking and clustering leads to BCR signaling and B cell activation
- BCR signaling with input from B cell coreceptor: CD19:CD81:CD21 complex
CD21 (complement receptor 2) binds C3dg complement fragment (on pathogen) → amplifies the signal
Members of the Src family of tyrosine kinases are recruited to the BCR → phosphorylate ITAM + coreceptors
How does the B cell phenotype/state change with B cell activation/BCR signaling?
Before → quiescent cells has very little cytoplasm
After → Large cell ready to divide, protein manufacture producing Abs
*Within 48hrs
BCR signal leads to changes in cell:
- metabolism
- cytoskeleton
- transcription factor expression
- clonal expansion
What is the antibody repertoire?
The total number of antibody specificities within an individual
- Each B lymphocyte has a unique antigen receptor
- Humans have ~1011 = 100 billion B cells!
What is combinatorial diversity?
Each Ig chain rearrangement uses a random selection of V(D)J
Light chains → kappa or lambda → can have different V, J and C regions
Heavy chains can have different V, D, J, C regions
What is the different betweent the lambda and the kappa light chain loci?
What is the difference with the heavy chain locus as well?
Lambda:
- V1–…– V29/32 —- J1 - C1 - J2 - C2 - J3 - C3 - J4 - C4 -
Kappa:
- V1 –…– V31/35 ——- J1 –…– J5 – C
*Only 1x C
*Each V segment has an L segment just before it
WHat is the structure of the heavy chain locus?
What is expressed in immature B cells?
Heavy:
- has a series of C gene regions, each of which corresponds to a different Ig isotype
- initially B cells express μ and d, and thus express IgM and IgD
- after activation B cells can undergo class switching to express other isotypes
- L1-V1–…– L40-V40 ———— D1-23 — J1-6 - C1 - C9
Wha are recombination signal sequences (RSS)?
What VDJ rules are associated with them?
DNA rearrangements are guided by conserved non-coding DNA sequences called recombination signal sequences (RSS) found adjacent to gene segments
RSS made up of: block of 7 nucleotides (heptamer) followed by a spacer (12 or 23 bp) and then a block of 9 nucleotides (nonamer)
V(D)J rules:
1. Recombination happens between gene segments on one chromosome
2. Gene segment flanked by RSS with 12bp spacer can be joined only to one flanked by a 23bp spacer
What is the role of RAG1/2?
*recombinase activating genes: RAG1 and RAG2
(lymphocyte specific genes)
- Recognize and bind RSS, enforces 12/23 rule, aligns the two RSS that will undergo rearrangement (juxtaposition and looping out of DNA in between)
- Make a DNA break at end of each RSS (DNA excision circles are lost with cell division)
- VJ form a coding joint (not RAGs)