Antigens

Martha Margarita G. Arevalo

Ana Mikaela D.O. de Asis
 Antigens

•Foreign substances that stimulates

antibody formation

•Binds to antibodies

•Important in the study of immunologic

manifestations of infectious diseases

•“Immunogenic” or “antigenic”

•- immune response triggered by the

presence of antigenic determinants or
epitopes

All immunogens are antigens but not all antigens

are immunogens
 The key to a healthy immune system is its remarkable
ability to distinguish between the body’s own cells (self)
and foreign cells (nonself). The body’s immune defenses
normally coexist peacefully with cells that carry
distinctive "self" marker molecules. But when immune
defenders encounter cells or organisms carrying markers
that say "foreign," they quickly launch an attack
EPITOPES
- single antigenic determinants

- portion of the antigen that reacts

specifically with an antibody or T-
lymphocyte receptor

Ex. Protein, polysaccharides

 Recipient

IMMUNE
RESPONSE

* Some examples of immunogenic surfaces:

- RBCs, outer surfaces of bacteria, surface
structures of other microorganisms
ANTIGENS OF IMPORTANCE TO
IMMUNOLOGISTS

1. Histocompatibility antigens

2. Autoantigens

3. Blood group antigens

HISTOCOMPATIBILITY ANTIGENS
AUTOANTIGENS

 Directed at hormones such as thyroglobulin

BLOOD GROUP ANTIGENS

 Widely distributed throughout the tissues, blood cells,

and body fluids
 ABO blood group antigens: most immunologic among
all
 Transfusion reaction may occur if foreign RBC
antigens are introduced to a host
 Antigens of the Rh system are integral structural
components of RBC membranes
CHEMICAL NATURE OF ANTIGENS
ANTIGENS OR IMMUNOGENS
 Polysaccharides
-Pure polysaccharides and lipopolysaccharides are
good immunogens

 Nucleic Acids
-poor antigens because of relative simplicity,
molecular flexibility, and rapid degradation

 Lipids
-non-immunogenic
-inferior antigens because of their relative
simplicity and lack of structural stability
CHARACTERISTICS OF
IMMUNOGEN….

1. Foreignness

2. Degradability

3. Molecular weight

4. Structural stability

5. Complexity
 FOREIGNESS

 degree to which antigenic determinants are

recognized as nonself by an individual’s immune
system

Example:
 transplant recipient receives a donor organ with
major HLA differences
 DEGRADABILITY

Antigens that are easily phagocytosed are generally

more immunogenic

sufficient antigens to stimulate an immune response

must be present
 MOLECULAR WEIGHT

 The higher the molecular weight, the better the molecule will
function as an antigen
 Molecular weight of at least 100,000
 Number of antigenic determinants on a molecule is related to
its size

 Haptens
-substance that is non-immunogenic but which can react
with the products of a specific immune response
-tiny molecules that can bind to a larger carrier molecule
and behave as antigen
 STRUCTURAL STABILITY

-if structure is unstable, the molecule will be a poor antigen

COMPLEXITY

-more complex an antigen, the greater is its effectiveness

-Complex proteins are better antigens than large, repeating
polymers such as lipids, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids, which
are relatively poor antigens
COMPLEXITY

Proteins
- strongest immunogen
- largest array of building blocks (20 aa)

Glycoproteins
- induces an immune response to the carbohydrate
epitope
ex: ABO and Rh antigens
 COMPLEXITY
Small polypeptides
- weakly immunogenic
- prolonged exposure to the antigens

Polysaccharides
- non-immunogenic
- don’t pass sufficient chemical diversity for complete
immunogenicity
Nucleic acid
- non immunogenic (simplicity, rapid degradation,
molecular flexibility
- combines with basic proteins

Lipid
- non immunogenic (simplicity, lack of structural ability)
- cardiolipins impart specificity to the Ag when properly
presented to the immune system
TYPES OF ANTIGENS ACCORDING TO
SOURCE
1. Autoantigen

2. Alloantigen

3. Heteroantigen

4. Syngeneic
antigen

5.Xenoantigen

5. heterogenic/
heterophile
antigen
1. AUTOANTIGENS (AUTOGRAFT
SEQUESTERED)
 Antigens that belong to the host

 Do not evoke an immune response under normal

circumstances

 “self – antigens”

 Stimulates the production of autoantibodies

 Ex: skin graft from a man’s thigh to his chains

2. ALLOANTIGENS
Found on other members of the same species,, existing
in alternative forms

Can bring about an immune response

Important in tissue transplants, blood transfusions

“isoantigen”

Ex: kidney transplant from mother to daughter

3. HETEROANTIGENS
From other plants, animals or microorganisms foreign
to the antibody producer

Heterophile antigen
- identical antigens found in the cells of
different species
- exist in unrelated plants or animals
- crossreacts with other antigens because their
structures are either identical or closely related
- “heterogenetic antigen”
4. SYNGENEIC ANTIGEN (ISOGRAFT)

Identical individuals
Ex: graft from members of an inherited the spilam

5. XENOANTIGEN (XENOGRAFT OR
HETEROGRAFT)
- found in different tissue specimen
ex. Monkey’s kidney transplanted to human

6. HETEROGENETIC/ HETEROPHILE
ANTIGENS
- have in common with one or mone epitopes as it is examined
TYPES OF ANTIGEN
A. T-independent Antigens

- are antigens which can directly stimulate the B cells to

produce antibody without the requirement for T cell
help

- most are polysaccharides

- the responses to these antigens differ from the

responses to other antigens
PROPERTIES OF T-INDEPENDENT
ANTIGENS

 1. Polymeric structure
- These antigens are characterized by the same antigenic
determinant repeated many times

Figure 1
In an antigen, the same antigenic determinant
repeated many times
2. Polyclonal activation of B cells

-Many of these antigens can activate B cell clones specific

for other antigens (polyclonal activation)

T-independent antigens can be subdivided into Type 1 and

Type 2 based on their ability to polyclonally activate B cells.

Type 1 T-independent antigens are polyclonal activators

while Type 2 are not.
3. Resistance to degradation

- are generally more resistant to degradation and

thus they persist for longer periods of time and
continue to stimulate the immune system.
 B. T-Dependent Antigens

-stimulate B cell to produce antibody with the help of

T cell

do not directly stimulate the production of antibody

without the help of T cells

most TD-Ag belong to proteins

Structurally these antigens are characterized by a few

copies of many different antigenic determinants as
illustrated in the Figure 2.
Structurally these antigens are characterized by a
few copies of many different antigenic determinants
as illustrated in the Figure 2.

 Figure 2.
TWO PROPERTIES OF IMMUNOGEN
 1. Immunogenicity
 -anability of an antigen which can stimulate the body to
evoke a specific immune response

2. Immunoreactivity
- an ability of antigen which can combine with corresponding
Ab or sensitized lymphocytes
EPITOPES/ DETERMINANT SITES

- “single antigenic determinants”

 - key portion of the antigen that reacts

specifically with an antibody or T-
lymphocyte receptor

 -molecular shapes
 Antigenic determinants
or configurations that are usually limited to
are recognized by T cells those portions of the
antigen that are
accessible to
antibodies shown in
 -capable of triggering specific antibody black for this iron-
production containing protein
  prominent determinants on the surface of the protein are
normally recognized
Ex. Protein, polysaccharides

 Protein Antigen – 5-15 amino acid residues

 Polysaccharide antigen – 5-7 polysaccharide residues

- - Paratope: antibody epitope

 Immunodominant Epitopes / Major Antigenic Site
- epitopes bound by greater proportion of antoibodies

 Antigenic Valence
- total number of determinants bounded by antibody or
antigenic receptor of lymphocytes
** most antigens are polyvalence antigens
CLASSIFICATION OF ANTIGENIC
DETERMINANTS..
1. According to the Structure

A. Linear or Sequential determinants

B. Conformational determinants
A. Linear or Sequential
Determinants
- epitopes formed by several
adjacent amino acid residues Recognition of epitopes in a linear
fashion. Note: the same (colored)
segment of protein can be a part
B. Conformational Determinants of more than one epitopes

- epitopes formed by aa
residues that become spatially
juxtaposed in the folded
protein

Recognition of conformational epitopes by

B cells. Note how the segments
widely separated in the primary
structure have come in contact in the
three dimensional tertiary structure
forming part of the same epitope
2. According to types of cells recognizing
antigenic determinant

A. T cell determinants (T cell epitopes)

B. B cell determinants (B cell epitopes)

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN T CELL
EPITOPE AND B CELL EPITOPE
T cell epitope B cell epitope
 g
Receptor TCR BCR

Nature Short peptides Proteins,

polysaccharides
Size 8-17 amino acid residues 5-15 amino acid
residues
5-7 monosaccharides

Types Linear epitope Conformational or linear

epitope
Position Any position in antigen Mostly exist on the
surface of antigen
HAPTENS
 Nonimmunologic materials
 low molecular weight molecule

 made immunogenic by conjugation to a suitable carrier

to stimulate a response
 Initiation of antibody production: antibody reaction is
possible even without the help of a carrier
 di- and trinitrophenol (DNP & TNP),
dimethylaminonaphthalene sulfonate (dansyl), and a
numer of toxins, including urushiol, which is the toxin
found in poison ivy.
HAPTENS
 Karl Landsteiner: study on the specificity of haptens
 “Antibodies recognize not just chemical features but that
the overall three-dimensional shape is also important”
 -spatial orientation and chemical
complimentary are responsible for
the lock and key relationship
HAPTENS AND CARRIERS

HAPTENS CARRIERS

 Antigenic determinants
 Non-protein with low MW - protein with high MW
 Non immunogenic unless - immunogenic but not binded with
a carrier reactive
 Determines specificity - provides the required
 size for Ag binding
 Binds to B cells - binds to T cells
 Ex: antibiotics, analgesics, - allergic response to
 Complex polysaccharides to penicillin
ADJUVANTS
 - is a substance administered with an immunogen
that increases the immune response

 -are thought to enhance the immune response by

prolonging the existence of immunogen in the area,
increasing the effective size of the immunogen and
increasing the number of macrophages involved in
antigen processing
Thank You!