ResourcesBlogWhat’s an Antibody and What’s Important About It?
What’s an Antibody and What’s Important About It?
Biointron2024-01-20Read time: 2 mins
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Antibodies, also known as immunoglobulins, are Y-shaped proteins that are produced by the immune system to recognize and neutralize foreign substances, such as viruses, bacteria, and toxins. They are an important part of the body's defense mechanism against infections and diseases.
Antibodies are made up of two heavy chains and two light chains that are linked by disulfide bonds. The tips of the Y-shaped structure are called the antigen-binding sites, which are responsible for recognizing and binding to specific antigens on the surface of foreign substances. The rest of the antibody, known as the constant region, interacts with other immune cells to trigger the elimination of the foreign substance.
Antibodies are generated by B cells, which are a type of white blood cell. B cells produce a diverse repertoire of antibodies through a process called somatic recombination, where segments of antibody genes are shuffled and combined to create unique antibody sequences. This allows the immune system to recognize a wide range of foreign substances.
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Antibodies are versatile molecules that perform a range of effector functions, many of which engage different arms of the immune system. Their modes of action extend beyond simple antigen binding, enabling the activation of various immune mechanisms that lead to pathogen neutralization and clearance. These functions include blocking molecular interactions, activating the complement system, and linking the humoral immune response to cellular immune responses via Fc receptor engagement.
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In addition to isotypes and subtypes, antibodies exhibit genetic variation known as allotypes, which are polymorphic epitopes on immunoglobulins. These allotypic differences arise from allelic variations in immunoglobulin genes, causing certain antibody subtypes to differ between individuals or ethnic groups. The presence of these polymorphic forms can influence immune responses, particularly when an individual is exposed to a non-self allotype, potentially triggering an anti-allotype immune reaction.
