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Related Concept Videos

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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Hybridoma technology is used for the large-scale production of monoclonal antibodies. Monoclonal antibodies bind to only a single antigenic determinant or epitope. Such antibodies are used in research, diagnostics, and disease therapy. The hybridoma technology established in 1975 by Georges Köhler and Cesar Milstein was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1984 for revolutionizing research and therapy.
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Special Features of Adaptive Immunity01:20

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The adaptive immune system, a crucial component of the overall immune response, offers a highly specialized defense against pathogens. It involves specific cell types and features, enabling it to combat infections effectively and efficiently.
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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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The T and B lymphocytes of the adaptive immune system develop from common lymphoid progenitor cells in the bone marrow. These progenitors give rise to precursors that eventually develop into both T and B lymphocytes. As these precursors mature, they gain the ability to detect and respond to foreign antigens in the body, a process known as immunocompetence. Additionally, these precursors acquire self-tolerance, a process that ensures they do not react to self-antigens. This intricate system...
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Antibody Structure and Classes01:25

Antibody Structure and Classes

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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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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 14, 2025

Analysis of Somatic Hypermutation in the JH4 intron of Germinal Center B cells from Mouse Peyer's Patches
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Somatic hypermutation generates antibody specificities beyond the primary repertoire.

Teng Zuo1, Avneesh Gautam1, Shahab Saghaei1

  • 1Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Division of Genetics, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Broad Institute of MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.

Immunity
|May 8, 2025
PubMed
Summary

B cells can develop new antibody specificities through somatic hypermutation (SHM) beyond their initial V(D)J recombination. This adaptability in antibody evolution is influenced by B cell competition within germinal centers (GCs).

Keywords:
B cellBCR diversificationsaffinity maturationantibodyantibody evolutionantibody specificitycompetitionde novo antigen recognitiongerminal centersomatic hypermutation

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Last Updated: Jun 14, 2025

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Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Adaptive Immunity

Background:

  • Antibody affinity maturation is crucial for adaptive immunity, primarily occurring via somatic hypermutation (SHM) and selection in germinal centers (GCs).
  • The extent to which SHM can generate novel antibody specificities beyond the primary repertoire established by V(D)J recombination remains an area of investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if B cell somatic hypermutation (SHM) can generate new antibody specificities beyond those encoded by the V(D)J recombination.
  • To explore the role of B cell competition in limiting the emergence of new antibody-antigen interactions during SHM.

Main Methods:

  • Tracking pre-defined non-specific B cells in various immunization models.
  • Utilizing phylogenetic analyses to trace mutational pathways of antibody evolution.
  • Assessing the impact of enhanced T cell co-stimulation on new antigen recognition.

Main Results:

  • Non-cognate B cells within GCs undergo SHM, leading to the generation of de novo antigen recognition.
  • Limited B cell competition facilitates the emergence of new antigen affinities and recognition of multiple epitopes.
  • Diverse mutational pathways were identified, and T cell co-stimulation promoted novel antigen recognition.

Conclusions:

  • B cell competition, not an intrinsic requirement for pre-existing affinity, limits the generation of new antibody specificities through SHM.
  • The adaptive immune system demonstrates flexibility, with SHM capable of reshaping antibody specificity beyond the primary V(D)J repertoire.
  • This highlights a broader capacity for antibody-antigen interaction exploration than previously understood.