Antigen processing and presentation: the development of

adaptive or acquired immunity in terms of cellular and

humoral immune response requires processing of
antigens by antigen presenting cells. In addition to this,
the antigens have to be presented on the MHC
molecules to the receptor of T- lymphocytes. Class I
MHC molecule presents the antigens to the Tc cells and
class II MHC molecule to the TH cells. Any molecule that
cannot be degraded and presented by the antigen
presenting cells will lack immunogenicity. Eg: a large
molecular weight polymer of D- amino acids, which is a
stereo isomer of the naturally occuring L- amino acid will
lack immunogenecity because the cellular system does
not have enzyme that can degrade this polymer unlike
for L- amino acids.
Complexity and conformation: both physical and
chemical properties determine the complexity of
the immunogen. There is no one molecular
configuration that is immunogenic.
Configuration could be linear or branched
polypeptides or carbohydrates, globular
proteins. Nonetheless, antibody that is formed
to these different conformational structures can
readily discriminate between these structures.
When the conformation changes, the antibody
formed due to the original conformaton does not
bind to it. eg;. The state of an aggregation of the
molecules influences immunogenecity.
Charge: positive, negative and neutral
substances can be immunogenic. The net
charge of the immunogen does appear to
influence the charge of the antibody.it has
been shown that immunization with some
positively charged antigens results in the
production of negatively charges
antibodies.
Accessibility: the accessibility of the
determinant groups to the recognition
system will determine the outcome of the
immune response. Recent developments
leading to preparation of synthetic
polypeptide that contain limited number of
amino acids in which chemical structures
can be defined are used to confirm the
fact.
 Epitopes or Antigenic determinants

• Recognition sites of an immunogen molecule, which

interact with lymphocyte through their receptors and
stimulate them. They are immunologically active sites of
an immunogen that bind to secreted antibodies or to
antigen specific membrane receptors.
• An antigen can have many different epitopes, which are
recognized by B and T cells.
• B cells are known to recognize soluble antigens, where
the epitopes recognized by the B cells tend to be highly
accessible sites on the exposed sites of the immunogen.
• T cells recognize only the procesed antigenic peptides
by MHC molecules on the surface of APCs and altered
self- cells.