Constant domains

The most remarkable feature of the antibody molecule is revealed by comparing the amino acid sequences from many different immunoglobulin IgG molecules. This comparison shows that between different IgGs the amino-terminal domain of each polypeptide chain is highly variable, whereas the remaining domains have constant sequences. A light chain is thus built up from one amino-terminal variable domain (Vl) and one carboxy-terminal constant domain (Cl), and a heavy chain from one amino-terminal variable domain (Vh), followed by three constant domains (Chi, Ch2. and Chs). 

Figure IS. 7 The constant domains of immunoglobulins are folded into a compressed antiparallel p banel built up from one three-stranded p sheet packed against a four-stranded sheet (a). A topological diagram (b) shows the connected Greek key motifs of this fold.

The overall structure of the variable domain is very similar to that of the constant domain, hut there are nine p strands instead of seven. The two additional p strands are inserted into the loop region that connects p strands C and D (red in Figure 15.8). Functionally, this part of the polypeptide chain is important since it contains the hypervariahle region CDR2. The two extra p strands, called C and C", provide the framework that positions CDR2 close to the other two hypervariahle regions in the domain structure (Figure 15.8). 

Figure 15.10 Schematic diagrams of the packing of the four-stranded p sheets of the constant domains Chi and Cl in an Fab fragment of IgG. The sheets are viewed perpendicular to the p strands in (a) and end-on in (b), where the four-stranded p sheets are blue.

The variable domains associate in a strikingly different manner. It is obvious from Figure 15.11 that if they were associated in the same way as the constant domains, via the four-stranded p sheets, the CDR loops, which are linked mainly to the five-stranded p sheet, would be too far apart on the outside of each domain to contribute jointly to the antigen-binding site. Thus in the variable domains the five-stranded p sheets form the domain-domain interaction area (Figure 15.11). Furthermore, the relative orientation of the p strands in the two domains is closer to parallel than in the constant domains and the curvature of the five-stranded p sheets is such that they do not pack... 

IgG antibody molecules are composed of two light chains and two heavy chains joined together by disulfide bonds. Each light chain has one variable domain and one constant domain, while each heavy chain has one variable and three constant domains. All of the domains have a similar three-dimensional structure known as the immunoglobulin fold. The Fc stem of the molecule is formed by constant domains from each of the heavy chains, while two Fab arms are formed by constant and variable domains from both heavy and light chains. The hinge region between the stem and the arms is flexible and allows the arms to move relative to each other and to the stem. 

The constant domain has a stable framework structure composed of two antiparallel sheets comprising seven p strands, four in one sheet and three in the other. The variable domains have a similar framework structure but comprising nine p strands, five in one sheet and four in the other. The three hypervariable regions are in loops at one end of the variable domain. The variable domains from the heavy and light chains associate through their five-stranded p sheets to form a barrel with the hypervariable loop regions from both domains close together at the top of the barrel. 

Bacterial or viral proteins linking T-cell receptors and MHC molecules through simultaneous interaction with the constant domains of all MHC class II molecules and of T-cell receptor (3-chains. Hence, superantigens are polyclonal T-cell activators most likely involved in the development of autoimmune diseases. 

Antibody classes In mammals, there are five classes of antibodies (also known as immunoglobulins IgG, IgA, IgM, IgE and IgD). Each immunoglobulin class differs in their heavy chain constant domains (see Fig. 1.2) and consequently in its biological properties. For immunoassays, two immuno-glubulin classes are of importance - IgG and IgM. 

Figure 1.10. Generalised structure of the variable and constant domains within antibodies. The variable regions (dark shading) of either the light or heavy chains are indicated as VL or VH, respectively. The light chains also possess one constant region (CL), whereas the heavy chains possess either three or four constant regions (Ch)-Ch4). depending upon the class of immunoglobulin (see text for details).

IgA has a short half-life in serum (6 days) and comprises about 12-20% of the total serum immunoglobulins. However, because of its presence in bodily fluids, it is the most abundant immunoglobulin present in the body. It comprises three constant domains, and neutrophils, monocytes and some other immune cells possess receptors for IgA (FcaR). Neither of the two IgA subclasses, IgAi and IgA2, can fix complement via the classical pathway. Instead, these antibodies neutralise antigens at mucosal surfaces, in the absence of complement fixation (which would be pro-inflammatory), and the neutralised antigens are cleared. 

B cell bh4 bp BPI BSA C domain C1-C9 cAMP CAP CD cDNA CFU CFU-GEMM bone-marrow-derived lymphocyte tetrahydrobiopterin base pairs bactericidal/permeability-inducing protein bovine serum albumin constant domain complement components cyclic adenosine monophosphate cationic antimicrobial protein cluster of differentiation complementary deoxynucleic acid colony-forming unit granulocyte-erythroid-monocyte-megakaryocyte CFU... 

Fig. 29. An assortment of/3 barrels, viewed down the barrel axis (a) staphylococcal nuclease, 5-stranded (b) soybean trypsin inhibitor, 6-stranded (c) chymotrypsin, 6-stranded (d) immunoglobulin (McPC603 CH1) constant domain, 7-stranded (e) Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase, 8-stranded (f) triosephosphate isomerase, 8-stranded (g) im-... 

Immunoglobulin, variable and constant domains Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase Staphylococcal nuclease... 

Variable and constant domains Greek key /3 barrel (Fig. 80) Insulin (Blundell et al., 1972)... 

Within the light and heavy chains are domains, which consist of about 110 amino acids. The domains that have similar polypeptide sequence are termed constant domains.These are the ChI, Ch2, and Ch3 domains of the heavy chain... 

The Ig heavy chain locus has an enhancer in the large intron separating the coding regions for the variable domain from the coding regions for the constant domains. 

Another factor influencing nonspecific tissue distribution is the carbohydrate portion of the IgG molecule, which is attached to the therapeutic protein via an N-linked glycan in the constant domain (Fc). Loss of terminal sialylated residues on the carbohydrate of IgG exposes galactose and promotes receptor-mediated binding of IgG to hepatocytes. Consequently this results in an increase in nonspecific distribution to the liver. Details of desialyation of IgG and its consequences are discussed in Chapter 10. Other glycoproteins may exert similar mechanisms of nonspecific distribution. 

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