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Antigens: Jennifer Nyland, PHD Office: Bldg#1, Room B10 Phone: 733-1586 Email: Jnyland@Uscmed - Sc.Edu

This document discusses antigens, immunogens, and haptens. It defines key terms and compares T-independent and T-dependent antigens. T-independent antigens can activate B cells without T cell help while T-dependent antigens require T cell help. Hapten-carrier conjugates are also introduced. The document outlines factors that influence immunogenicity and describes antigenic determinants recognized by B cells and T cells. Superantigens are defined as inducing polyclonal T cell responses.

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72 views19 pages

Antigens: Jennifer Nyland, PHD Office: Bldg#1, Room B10 Phone: 733-1586 Email: Jnyland@Uscmed - Sc.Edu

This document discusses antigens, immunogens, and haptens. It defines key terms and compares T-independent and T-dependent antigens. T-independent antigens can activate B cells without T cell help while T-dependent antigens require T cell help. Hapten-carrier conjugates are also introduced. The document outlines factors that influence immunogenicity and describes antigenic determinants recognized by B cells and T cells. Superantigens are defined as inducing polyclonal T cell responses.

Uploaded by

jamalmicro
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Antigens

Jennifer Nyland, PhD


Office: Bldg#1, Room B10
Phone: 733-1586
Email: [email protected]
Teaching objectives
• To compare and contrast immunogen, antigen &
hapten
• To describe the factors influencing immunogenicity
• To define the chemical nature of immunogens
• To compare the structures of T-independent and T-
dependent antigens
• To introduce the concept of hapten-carrier conjugates
and their structure
• To characterize antigenic determinants
• To define superantigens
Overview of the immune system
Vocabulary
• Immunogen
• Antigen (Ag)
• Hapten
• Epitope or antigenic determinant
• Antibody (Ab)
Factors influencing immunogenicity
Immunogenicity: contribution of
immunogen
• Foreignness
• Size
• Chemical composition
– Primary structure --- sequence determinants
– Secondary structure
– Tertiary structure Conformational
– Quarternary structure determinants
Immunogenicity: contribution of
immunogen
• Foreigness
• Size
• Chemical composition
• Physical form
– Particular > Soluble
– Denature > Native
Immunogenicity: contribution of
immunogen
• Foreigness
• Size
• Chemical composition
• Physical form
• Degradability
– Ag processing by Ag-presenting cells (APC)
Immunogenicity: contribution of
biological system
• Genetics
– Species
– Individual
• Responders vs Non-responders
• Age
Immunogenicity: method of
administration
• Dose
• Route
– Subcutaneous > Intravenous > Intragastric
• Adjuvant
– Substances that enhance immune response to Ag
Chemical nature of immunogen
• Proteins
• Polysaccharides
• Nucleic acids
• Lipids
– Some glycolipids and phospholipids can be
immunogenic for T cells and illicit a cell-mediated
immune response
Antigens: T-independent
• Activate B cells without MHC class II
T help
• Polysaccharides
• Properties
– Polymeric structure
– Polyclonal B cell activation, but poor
memory
– Resistance to degradation
• Examples
– Pneumococcal polysaccharide, LPS
– Flagella
Antigens: T-dependent
• Require T help to activate B
cells
• Proteins
• Structure
• Examples
– Microbial proteins
– Non-self or altered-self
proteins
Hapten-carrier conjugates
• Definition
– Ag only if bound to carrier protein
• Structure
– Native determinants
– Haptenic determinants
Antigenic determinants recognized by
B cells and Ab
• Composition
– Proteins, polysaccharides, nucleic acids, haptens
– Sequence (linear) determinants
– Conformational determinants
• Size
– 4-8 residues
Antigenic determinants recongized by
B cells and Ab
• Composition
• Size
• Number
– Limited (immunodominant epitopes)
– Located on the external surface of the Ag
(exposed)
Antigenic determinants recognized by
T cells
• Composition
– Proteins (some lipids)
– Sequence determinants
• Processed
• MHC presentation (lipid presentation by MHC-like CD1)
• Size
– 8-15 residues
• Number
– Limited to those that can bind MHC
Superantigens
• Definition
– Polyclonal T cell
T cell T cell
response
TCR TCR
• Examples
Ag SuperAg
– Staphlycoccal
MHC MHC
enterotoxins
APC APC – Toxic shock toxin
Summary of immune response
• Adaptive immune response
– Discrete determinants
– Reacts with specific pathogen
• Innate immune response
– Broad molecular patterns
– Reacts with a variety of pathogens

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