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Adaptive Immune System
B and T cell formation, functions
60
Immunology
Undergraduate 2
03/24/2012

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Term
Difference between immunogen and Hapten?
Definition
Immunogen always cause one, foreign and complex
Haptens ony generate one when bound to larger macromolecules
Term
What are the types of epitopes
Definition
Discontinuous - unchanged and can be bound to B cells.
Linear - Processes and the epitopic part of the antigen are right next to each other. T cell need this type
Term
Describe the antibody structure
Definition
Two heavy, two light chains linked by disulfide bridge
Term
What is the variability in light chains made of?
Definition
Two types, kappa or lambda. Has V and D regions
Term
What is Fab and Fc?
Function of Fc?
Definition
Fab - Area for antigen binding (consists of heavy and light areas) and Fc- constant area (also heavy and light)

Fc activates complement cascade when bound to antigen (binds C1)
Term
How many domains do light chains and heavy chains have?
Definition
Light - 1 variable and 1 constant
Heavy - 1 variable, 3 constant
Term
What are the role of antibodies?
Definition
To bind pathogen. Could destroy pathogen by agglutination, could also opsonize and enhance phagocytosis
Term
Describe IgM structure and role
Definition
First antibody responder, best opsonizer, pentamer.
best at agglutination
Term
Role and structure of IgD
Definition
Non soluble, surface receptor. Monomer
Term
Role and structure of IgA
Definition
Dimer, biggest role in mucosal immunity. Th2 responses
Forms a dimer by joining the J chain and has a secretory component which function to protect it from proteolytic attack
Term
Role of IgG and structure?
Definition
Monomer, most prevalent antibody
Longest half life, Th1 - cell mediated cytotoxicity
Primary responded to LPS
Term
role of IgE
Definition
Th2 responder, monomer, response to parasitic infection
bind to mast cell and activation leads to degranulation
Term
What are the different types of T cell chains?
Definition
A/B chains (95%), gamma/delta (5%)
Term
What is weird about G/D T cells?
Definition
don't recognize MHC associated cells, but can recognize non peptide antigens
Term
What are the similarities between light chains and alpha chains? Heavy and beta?
Definition
both only use V and J segments
use V,D and J segments
Term
how is T cell diversity created?
Definition
No somatic hypermuation, class switiching etc...
Existence of multiple V region, junctional diversity, combination of chains. Greater potential for junctional diversity because of randomness of TdT enzyme
Term
how is B cell receptor diversity created? (5)
Definition
1) Germline diversity - multiple (V,D, and J segmentS)
2) Combinatorial diversity (different ways to match V,D and J)
3)Junctional diversity - different sequences at the joints between V, D and J (need DNA rearrangements to Join)
4) Light and heavy chain diversity
5) Somatic hypermuation
Term
What has more diversity: T cell receptor or B cell receptor?
Definition
TCR because of junctional diversity, could be 10^18
Term
What are superantigens and how do they work?
Definition
They activate all T cells bearing a Vbeta region, therefore can initiate an immune response that includes 20% of all T cells
Term
What are necessary accessory molecules for T cell stimulation?
Definition
CD3 and CD4/CD8. CD4/CD8 stabilize the TCR peptide MHC complex as they bind to MHC molecules, biding tyrosine kinases near CD3 to activate signal transduciton
Term
How is the MHC system inherited?
Definition
In haplotypes, or block of alleles that are identical within families. However, within a family, none of the member shave identical combination, there is no recombination in th eMHC
Term
What is allelic exclusion?
Definition
There is only one form expressed on each cell (like how Ig and TCR only express one type per cell)

But MHC is codominantly expressed, and only certain types are selected.
Term
What causes polymorphism in MHC molecules?
Definition
Amino acid residues
Term
What is T cell restriction?
Definition
T cells need to be specific to both antigen and MHC molecule, in that sense, MHC function to be a ligand and a binding site
Term
How are antigen processes? which type leads to MHC types?
Definition
Peptide generated intracellularly leads to CD8+ cells (MHC I viral) and peptides generated extracellulary lead to CD4+ cell activation (MHC II)
Term
How are extracellular antigens processed?
Definition
Internalized by receptor mediated endocytosis, degraded by proteases, lysosomes and eventually amino acids. APC synthesizes MHC II in the ER, bud with endosomes and expressed on the surface. However, while the MHC is in the ER, it is protected by an invariant chain to prevent activation - the acidic environment cleaves the invariant chains and allows the MHC to bind antigen
Term
What molecules are important for intracellular antigens?
Definition
Proteasome complex (degrade cytosolic antigens)
TAP to transport them to ER
Antigens- needed for MHC I folding, otherwise they wilt and die
Term
How does Tuberculosis evade pathogen processing?
Definition
It doesn't prevent uptake, but rather fusing of endosome and lysosome, so the macrophage can do no better than conain it. Leads to granulomas
Term
What happens when a CD4 cells binds to an APC that has internalized an antigen?
Definition
If it binds to a killing capable cell, like a macrophage, binding will activate phagocytosis and killing of antigen. B cells can function as APCs as well
Term
Describe in detail B cell activation
Definition
Igalpha/beta contain ITAM motifs required for signal transduction. Once bound to antigen, Syk phosphorylates ITAMs in IGA/beta. This bindings leads to changing in transcription, phospholipase C etc...
Term
Describe in detail T cell activation with kinases?
Definition
The TCR is made up of CD3, CD4 and the alpha/beta chains. Clustering leads to LCk phosphorylates CD3 (contains ITAMs) once activated, leads to intracellular signaling pathways
Term
What is the end result of B/T cell activation via phosphorylation?
Definition
Proliferation of cell, activation of Th cells leads to release of proliferatory cytokines like IL-2
Term
When does B cell development first occur?
Definition
Liver, then bone marrow
Term
What are the stages of B cell development?
Definition
Stem - Pro B - early pre-b - late pre-b
Term
How do differentiate between the various stages of B cell development?
Definition
By rearrangement of IG heavy and light chain genes,
Term
What rearranges first, heavy or light chain? What is allelic exclusion?
Definition
Heavy chain rearranges first in the pro-B stage. Allelic exclusion is where only one gene for rearrangemen (either heavy or light) is activated at once. Prevents wasteful secretion of unfinished or damaged antibodies
Term
What defines the pro-b, early pre-b, late pre-b stages?
Definition
Early pro-b is heavy chain rearrangement, early pre-b is light chain formation, late pre-b is light chain rearrangment
Term
When are immature cells considered mature?
Definition
when they express surface IgM/IgD
Term
What is B cell tolerance? What is supposed to occur?
Definition
Those cells that display self reactivity are destroyed or made anergic. The B cell is not supposed to recognize any antigens in the bone marrow. Antigen binding leads to tolerance and maturational arrest.
Term
What is receptor editing?
Definition
If they become tolerant to self antigen, VDJ machinery is upregulated so to alter specificity from autoreactivity
Term
As B cells are dependant on costimulatory molecules, how does this prevent autoreactivity
Definition
If a mature B cell engages an antigen, but no T cell specific for antigen responds, conscious realization that it is an auto antigen. B cell is not fully activated and becomes anergic
Term
What is the role of FDCs and B cell activation?
Definition
Create environment where antigen are concerntraed and displayed to naive b cells. Only found in lymphoid follicles, not MHC II, but retain antigen/antibody complexes.
Term
Once a B cell has seen antigen, thanks possibly to FDC, what happens?
Definition
Moves to 2ndy lymphoid organ, finds target antigen and internalizes it via the BCR complex. Antigen is degraded and processed into MHC II receptors. Here the B cell may undergo somatic hypermuation to get a bette fit to the antigen
Term
What are thymus dependant antigens?
Definition
Those that require B and T cell collaboration, as though B cells can internalize antigen, they require costimulatory molecules from CD4 cells to activate to effector (plasma cells) that secrete antibodies
Term
How does somatic hypermutation benefit antigen binding?
Definition
Creates BCR with best fit, those that bind receives survival signals from FDCs (positive selection) and then differentiate. With each round of somatic mutation, B cells has increasing affinity towards antigen = affinity maturation
Term
What are B-1 cells?
Definition
Fetus and neonatal lymphocytes, but don't replenish via bone marrow, rather through division in peripheral tissues. Low divesity, and produce cross reactive antibodies
Term
What % of thymocytes die in maturation process?
Definition
98%
Term
What are the stages of selection T cells undergo in the Thymus?
Definition
Start as double negative cells (no cd8 or cd4) - commit to alpha/beta or gamma/delta lineage, then become double positive cells (CD4 and CD8), then are selected as either CD4 or CD8 based on ability to associate with MHC, release of single positive cells
Term
When do TCR rearrangements occur during thymus development?
Definition
During the double negative (neither CD4/CD8) stage
Beta TCR chain and alpha TCR chain complex with CD3 to form pre-TCR complex
Term
What leads to transition from double negative cells to double positive cells?
Definition
The formation of the pre-TCR complex (alpha/beta/cd3) allows for signal transduction. This leads to proliferation of double positive cells
Term
What determines if a double positive T cell with become a SP cell?
Definition
Ability to interact with MHC self peptide antigen complex - transduce a signal that lead to differentiation
Term
What form of negative selection happens in T cell development?
Definition
clones that are strongly reactive with self peptides are eliminated. however, asmany soluble self antigens are recognized in the thymus, it isn't a perfect system. AIRE mutations prevent expression of endocrine organs - leads to autoreactivity
Term
When and how is a naive T cell activated?
Definition
Move from blood to lymphoid organs, in 2ndry lympoid organs encounters APC with antigen. If recognizes MHC, antigen and gets costimulatory signal - activation. become effector cells and move to peripheral tissues to handle pathogen directly or help activate B cells
Term
What could CD4 cells become?
Definition
Either TH1 or TH2 cells depending of type of immune response taking place and cytokines present.
IL-2, IFN-G --> CD4.stimulates IgG and CD8+. IL-4 - TH2 - switch to either IgA or IgE
Term
How are CD8 cells activated?
Definition
Either by interacting with professional APC (DC's can have MHC I also) and receiving costimulatory molecules, or by interacting with nonprofessional APC and receiving second signal from CD4 cells like cytokines
Term
What is the role of the gamma/delta T cell subset?
Definition
Recognizes antigen without processing in absence of MHC class I or II. First line of defense. More like PRMS
Term
Describe the steps of apoptosis
Definition
Triggered through fas-fas ligan interaction. Leads to cascade to activate caspase, leads to DNAse cleaves into fragments, cell death
Term
What are the steps of BCR formation (Recombinase and such)
Definition
First Combine D and J regions (for heavy chains) V and J for light, then rearrange, add other regions, remove leader sequences
Term
What is the role of RAG enzymes
Definition
Initiate immunoglobulin gene rearrangements in B cells and T cells. Deficienceis leads to immunodeficency diseases
Term
What is the role of TDT?
Definition
enzymes responsible for all of TCR junctional diversity
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