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Related Concept Videos

Antibody Structure01:10

Antibody Structure

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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...
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Antibody Structure and Classes01:25

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Antibodies, also known as immunoglobulins, are produced by B cells in response to foreign substances, such as bacteria and viruses. These proteins are critical for recognizing and neutralizing these substances, protecting the body from potential harm.
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Antibody Actions01:26

Antibody Actions

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Antibodies, or immunoglobulins, are critical players in the immune system's arsenal against invading pathogens. Produced by B cells and plasma cells, their primary role is to detect and bind to specific antigens, molecules found on the surface of pathogens like bacteria or viruses. Beyond antigen recognition, antibodies perform several vital functions that contribute to immune defense.
Neutralization
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B Cell Activation and Differentiation01:24

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The adaptive immune response, a sophisticated defense mechanism, relies on the activation and differentiation of B lymphocytes, or B cells. These processes enable our bodies to mount a tailored response against specific pathogens such as bacteria, free virus particles, toxins, and parasites.
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Diversity of Antigen Receptors01:28

Diversity of Antigen Receptors

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Antigen receptors are essential components of the immune system crucial in defending the body against foreign invaders. These receptors are present on the surface of B and T cells, enabling them to recognize antigens and mount an appropriate immune response.
Before encountering any antigen, lymphocytes express these receptors. On B cells, the antigen receptor is a membrane-bound antibody molecule called BCR; on T cells, it is a T cell receptor or TCR. B and T cell receptors are composed of two...
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Updated: Aug 24, 2025

Single-cell Screening Method for the Selection and Recovery of Antibodies with Desired Specificities from Enriched Human Memory B Cell Populations
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Functional antibodies exhibit light chain coherence.

David B Jaffe1, Payam Shahi2, Bruce A Adams2

  • 110x Genomics, Pleasanton, CA, USA. 99.david.b.jaffe@gmail.com.

Nature
|October 26, 2022
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Functional antibodies exhibit "light chain coherence," where heavy chains predominantly determine light chain usage, unlike naive antibodies that recur by chance. This reveals deterministic processes in adaptive immunity.

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Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Genetics
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • The adaptive immune system generates antibody diversity through V(D)J recombination.
  • Antibodies consist of heavy and light chains, each with complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) crucial for antigen binding.
  • Public clonotypes, B cells sharing identical heavy chains and CDRH3 sequences, are found across individuals.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between heavy and light chain gene usage in public clonotypes.
  • To determine if antibody functional status (naive vs. memory) influences light chain selection.
  • To explore the implications of observed patterns for V(D)J recombination and immune selection.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of heavy and light chain gene usage in public clonotypes from different donors.
  • Comparison of light chain gene usage probability between naive and memory B cell antibodies.
  • Examination of heavy chain recurrence within individual donors.

Main Results:

  • Naive antibodies show a low probability (~10%) of sharing the same light chain V gene within public clonotypes.
  • Memory (functional) antibodies exhibit a high probability (~80%) of sharing the same light chain V gene, termed 'light chain coherence'.
  • This coherence is also observed with recurrent similar heavy chains within a single donor.

Conclusions:

  • The recurrence of naive antibodies appears stochastic, while functional antibodies show significant determinism.
  • Light chain coherence in functional antibodies suggests a strong influence of the heavy chain on light chain selection.
  • These findings highlight constraints and deterministic factors in V(D)J recombination and adaptive immune selection processes.