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English: Schematic diagram of the basic unit of immunoglobulin (antibody) Fab; Fc; heavy chain (consist of VH, CH1, hinge, CH2 and CH3 regions: from N-term) light chain (consist of VL and CL regions: from N-term) antigen binding site; hinge regions (*) -S-S-mean disulfide bonds.
Antibody (or immunoglobulin) structure is made up of two heavy-chains and two light-chains. These chains are held together by disulfide bonds. The arrangement or processes that put together different parts of this antibody molecule play important role in antibody diversity and production of different subclasses or classes of antibodies.
The two heavy chains are colored red and blue and the two light chains green and yellow. [1] The immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) is the large polypeptide subunit of an antibody (immunoglobulin). In human genome, the IgH gene loci are on chromosome 14. A typical antibody is composed of two immunoglobulin (Ig) heavy chains and two Ig light chains.
Complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) are polypeptide segments of the variable chains in immunoglobulins (antibodies) and T cell receptors, generated by B-cells and T-cells respectively. CDRs are where these molecules bind to their specific antigen and their structure/sequence determines the binding activity of the respective antibody.
The antibody has a three-dimensional structure with beta pleated sheet and alpha helices. [5] The antibody folds so the variable regions form three loops with the framework regions folded into one another and the CDR regions on the tips of each of these loops in direct contact with the antigen.
Schematic of immunoglobulin A dimer showing H-chain (blue), L-chain (red), J-chain (magenta) and secretory component (yellow). The Joining (J) chain is a protein component that links monomers of antibodies IgM and IgA to form polymeric antibodies capable of secretion. [ 5 ]
There are two types of light chains: kappa and lambda, each composed of a constant domain (CL) and a variable domain (VL). There are five types of heavy chains: alpha, delta, epsilon, gamma and mu, all consisting of a variable domain (VH) and three (in alpha, delta and gamma) or four (in epsilon and mu) constant domains (CH1 to CH4).
The immunoglobulin domain, also known as the immunoglobulin fold, is a type of protein domain that consists of a 2-layer sandwich of 7-9 antiparallel β-strands arranged in two β-sheets with a Greek key topology, [1] [2] consisting of about 125 amino acids. The backbone switches repeatedly between the two β-sheets.