Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Cross-reactivity00:42

Cross-reactivity

Overview
Antigens Involved in Adaptive Immunity01:26

Antigens Involved in Adaptive Immunity

An antigen is any substance the immune system identifies as foreign and potentially harmful to the body, prompting an immune response. Antigens have two functional properties: immunogenicity and reactivity. Immunogenicity is the ability of an antigen to stimulate a specific immune response. At the same time, reactivity describes the antigen's ability to react with the cells and antibodies produced in response to it.
Complete Antigens
Complete antigens possess both immunogenicity and reactivity.
Antibody Structure01:10

Antibody Structure

Overview
Antibodies, also known as immunoglobulins (Ig), are essential players of the adaptive immune system. These antigen-binding proteins are produced by B cells and make up 20 percent of the total blood plasma by weight. In mammals, antibodies fall into five different classes, which each elicits a different biological response upon antigen binding.
The Y-Shaped Structure of Antibodies Consists of Four Polypeptide Chains
Antibodies consist of four polypeptide chains: two identical heavy...
Allergic Reactions02:06

Allergic Reactions

Overview
Asthma I: Introduction01:28

Asthma I: Introduction

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways characterized by variable airflow obstruction and heightened bronchial responsiveness to a wide range of triggers. The underlying inflammation leads to airway swelling, mucus hypersecretion, and smooth muscle constriction, all of which narrow the airway lumen and impede airflow. Clinically, asthma presents with recurrent episodes of wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing, symptoms that typically vary in intensity and...
Protein Families02:47

Protein Families

Protein families are groups of homologous proteins; that is, they have similarities in amino acid sequences and three-dimensional structures. Protein families usually occur because of gene duplication, where an additional copy of a gene is inserted into the genome of an organism.   Mutations that change the amino acids but still allow the protein to be properly synthesized, will lead to new protein family members.   If these new proteins contain similar amino acids in key locations, protein...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

DENV-Specific IL-10-Producing Regulatory T Cells Are Associated With Mild Clinical Outcomes in Dengue.

Journal of medical virology·2026
Same author

Development of Recombinase Polymerase Amplification and CRISPR-Cas12a-Enhanced Isothermal Amplification Assays for Strongyloides stercoralis DNA Detection: A Pilot Study.

The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene·2026
Same author

Further insights into the sialome switch of Amblyomma americanum adult females.

BMC genomics·2026
Same author

Corrigendum to "Safety and immunogenicity of SpiN-Tec, a T-cell based RBD-Nucleocapsid chimeric vaccine for COVID-19" [Vaccine 64 (2025) 127756].

Vaccine·2026
Same author

Discovery of an Adaptive Neuroimmune Response Driving Itch and Fast Tick Removal with Implications for Preventing Pathogen Transmission.

Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)·2026
Same author

High-resolution proteomics unveils salivary gland disruption and saliva-hemolymph protein exchange in Plasmodium-infected mosquitoes.

Nature communications·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 20, 2026

Removal and Replacement of Endogenous Ligands from Lipid-Bound Proteins and Allergens
09:09

Removal and Replacement of Endogenous Ligands from Lipid-Bound Proteins and Allergens

Published on: February 24, 2021

Structural differences between human proteins and aero- and microbial allergens define allergenicity.

Helton da Costa Santiago1, Sasisekhar Bennuru, José M C Ribeiro

  • 1The Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America.

Plos One
|July 21, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Allergens may be more potent when they are structurally unique, not similar to human or pathogen proteins. This suggests that unique antigens, rather than conserved ones, drive allergic responses.

More Related Videos

Identification and Characterization of Immunogenic RNA Species in HDM Allergens that Modulate Eosinophilic Lung Inflammation
08:44

Identification and Characterization of Immunogenic RNA Species in HDM Allergens that Modulate Eosinophilic Lung Inflammation

Published on: May 30, 2020

Humanized Mediator Release Assay as a Read-Out for Allergen Potency
10:22

Humanized Mediator Release Assay as a Read-Out for Allergen Potency

Published on: June 29, 2021

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 20, 2026

Removal and Replacement of Endogenous Ligands from Lipid-Bound Proteins and Allergens
09:09

Removal and Replacement of Endogenous Ligands from Lipid-Bound Proteins and Allergens

Published on: February 24, 2021

Identification and Characterization of Immunogenic RNA Species in HDM Allergens that Modulate Eosinophilic Lung Inflammation
08:44

Identification and Characterization of Immunogenic RNA Species in HDM Allergens that Modulate Eosinophilic Lung Inflammation

Published on: May 30, 2020

Humanized Mediator Release Assay as a Read-Out for Allergen Potency
10:22

Humanized Mediator Release Assay as a Read-Out for Allergen Potency

Published on: June 29, 2021

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Bioinformatics
  • Allergy Research

Background:

  • The prevailing theory posits that structural similarity between allergens and microbial or human proteins explains allergenicity.
  • Understanding these structural relationships is crucial for deciphering the mechanisms of allergic sensitization.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically investigate the structural relationships between allergens and proteins from various pathogens (helminths, protozoans, fungi, bacteria) and humans.
  • To correlate these structural relationships with allergenicity, assessed by immunoglobulin E (IgE) prevalence.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of amino acid sequences of 499 allergens against proteomes of 15 pathogens and human proteomes.
  • Utilized various bioinformatics tools for sequence comparison.
  • Assessed allergenicity using IgE prevalence data from public databases and literature.

Main Results:

  • Identified homologous proteins for common allergens in helminths, protozoans, fungi, and humans, but not bacteria.
  • A significant number of allergens (187) showed no homology with studied microbial genera.
  • Allergens with no or limited sequence homology exhibited higher allergenicity, indicated by greater IgE prevalence.

Conclusions:

  • Allergenicity may be linked to the evolutionary "uniqueness" or novelty of an antigen.
  • High similarity to self or microbial proteins might induce immunological tolerance rather than allergy.
  • These findings challenge the sole reliance on structural homology for explaining allergenicity.