Immunology Overview

Innate vs Acquired Immunity

• Non-specific, rapid• Physical, Chemical

Barriers• Complex Biochemical

Mechanisms– Fever– Inflammation– Complement– Toll and Nod

• Antigen specific and initially slow

• Memory• Lymphocytes• Humoral and Cellular• Exquisitely Specific

Recognition molecules

Eukaryote Innate Immunity

Cells of the Immune System

The Immune System

The Clonal Selection Theory

Primary vs Secondary Response

Antigenicity

• Antigen - any molecule that binds to and activates the specific receptors of lymphocytes– Immunogenicity

– Specificity• Epitopes

• Some molecules (haptens) have specificity but no immunogenicity -- these need a carrier

– Digoxigenin

– peptides

DIG - KLH

Requirements for Immunogenicity

• Foreignness

• High Molecular Weight

• Chemical Complexity

• Degradability

• Host Factors– Genetics– Route of encounter / Adjuvants

Protein Structure

Myoglobin Epitopes

Lysozyme Epitopes

Compare Epitope Structures

Antibody Structure

The 5 Antibody Classes

Mammalian Antibody Isotypes

The Immunoglobulin Superfamily

The Central Dogma

and GOD said, “Let there be light chains!”

Light chain exon rearrangement

“and let there be heavy chains!”

The Clonal Selection Theory

Monoclonal Antibodies