Antigen epitopes

A Sail, R Matsumoto, HP McNeil, M Karplus, RL Stevens. Three-dimensional models of four mouse mast cell chymases. Identification of proteoglycan-bmdmg regions and protease-specific antigenic epitopes. I Biol Chem 268 9023-9034, 1933. 

These predictive methods are very useful in many contexts for example, in the design of novel polypeptides for the identification of possible antigenic epitopes, in the analysis of common motifs in sequences that direct proteins into specific organelles (for instance, mitochondria), and to provide starting models for tertiary structure predictions. 

Fig. 6 Proposed structure of the antigenic epitopes in the ramified region of bupleuran 211c for anti-bupleuran 211c/PG-l-lgG as proposed by Sakurai et al. [49]...

Figure 6 from Carbohydrate Research, vol 311, Sakurai MH, Kiyohara H, Matsumoto T, TsumurayaY, Hashimoto Y, Yamada H (1998) Characterization of antigenic epitopes in anti-ulcer pectic polysaccharides from Bupleurum falcatum L. using several carbohy-drases. p 219-p229, all with permission from Elsevier... 

Idiotypic network. Idiotypic determinants (idiotypes) are unique antigenic epitopes characteristic of the antigen receptors on the surface of T and B cells. They are associated with the variable regions of these receptors. Antibodies produced by B cells as the result of antigenic stimulation can themselves stimulate the production of auto-anti-idiotypic antibodies which have the ability to combine with the B-cell receptor (Ig) and thus can dampen down the immune response. Idiotypes may likewise stimulate the production of T cells specific for idiotypic determinants. Jerne (1974) postulated his... 

NK cells are a subset of lymphocytes found in blood and lymphoid tissues, especially the spleen. They are about 15 an in diameter, possess a kidney-shaped nucleus and have two or three large granules in the cytoplasm. They are derived from the bone marrow. NK cells have the ability to kill certain tumour lines and normal cells infected by virus. Killing by NK cells is not specific for viral antigenic epitopes, and is not restricted by MHC molecules. They do not possess CD3 but do express CD2, CD 16 and CD56, together with a low-affinity receptor for the Fc portion of IgG. 

Lee, D.L., Ko, R.C., Yi, X.Y. and Yeung, M.H. (1991) Trichinella spiralis antigenic epitopes from the stichocytes detected in the hypertrophic nuclei and cytoplasm of the parasitized muscle fibre (nurse cell) of the host. Parasitology 102, 117-123. 

Rahimi F, Shepherd CE, Halliday GM, et al. Antigen-epitope retrieval to facilitate proteomic analysis of formalin-fixed archival brain tissue. Anal. Chem. 2006 78 7216-7221. 

A special nonspecific sensor response might be due to the cross-reactivity of immobilized antibodies. Besides the analyte, an antibody can bind also other entities bearing a similar antigenic epitope, e.g. the detection of some pathogenic bacteria can be interfered by the binding of non-pathogenic bacteria with the same surface antigen. 

In 1975, Kohler and Milstein observed that if an antibody-producing cell was fused with a myeloma tumor cell, a rapidly dividing hybrid was produced that synthesized a monospecific antibody. Each hybridoma formed then became a factory, producing antibodies monospecific to a particular sensitizing antigenic epitope. Cell cloning allows selection of hybrids producing antibodies with the desired characteristics. 

Preclinical studies should address the potential toxicity due to inappropriate release of the conjugated toxin. Preclinical toxicology of monoclonal antibodies may not require extensive animal studies but should be examined for cross-reactivity with antigenic epitopes present on normal cells in vitro and for the presence of human or rodent vimses. Early clinical trial should involve biodistribution studies with radiolabelled material. 

Affinity is the strength of binding between a single antibody and its antigenic epitope. 

Tissue Distribution of Biopharmaceuticals. By design, monoclonal antibodies exhibit high-afflnity binding to speciflc antigenic epitopes. These epitopes are present somewhere in the body perhaps on cell surfaces in healthy or cancerous tissue. In an ideal situation, a monoclonal... 

The introduction of retro-, retro-inverso-, and PMRI-peptides with free and blocked C-and N-termini has been successful in numerous biological systems such as neurotransmitters, inhibitors of proteases and protein kinases, sweeteners, antimicrobial peptides, hormones, adhesion molecules, antigenic epitopes, immuno-modulators, and immunological probes. Table 1 provides an exhaustive list of retro-, retro-inverso-, PMRI-, and end-group-modified re/ro-mvmo-pseudopeptides derived from bioactive peptides. 

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