Genetics in the Generation of Antibody Diversity
Folder Title: AbGenes
Updated: October 15, 2015
Chapter Seven, 7th Edition: “Organization and Expression of Lymphocyte Receptor Genes”
Includes Immunoglobulin and T-Cell Receptor Genetics
Questions About B-Cell Responses
Biochemical Questions:1.How can Immunoglobulins recognize so many different
epitopes?
2.What does an antibody protein look like?
3.How do specific antibodies work as proteins binding so many different specific antigenic determinants?
Representation of Sequence Comparisons Among Light Chains from Antibodies with Three Different Antigen Specificities
H3N-Ser-Val-Ile-Thr-Gly-Gly-Tyr-Ala... Thr-Glu-Ala-Val-Tyr-Ser-Met-COO-
H3N-Ser-Ile-Met-Thr-Arg-Leu-Tyr-Gly..Thr-Glu-Ala-Val-Tyr-Ser-Met-COO-
H3N-Thr-Gly-Gly-Thr-Lys-Leu-Tyr-Ile..Thr-Glu-Ala-Val-Tyr-Ser-Met-COO-
Variable Amino Terminal Half Conserved Carboxyl Terminal Half
(Positions 1 to 107) (Positions 108 - 214)
LiteComp
See Figure 4-6,Kuby 6th Editionp. 85
See Figure 4-6,Kuby 6th Editionp. 85
Heavy ChainIso-forms
Variable RegionsIncluding hypervariable CDR’s (Complementarity determining regions)
κ or λ forms
The Heavy and light chains are labeled incorrectly in the Kuby Immunology Powerpoint slides. The figure is labeled correctly in the book.
Questions About B-Cell Responses
Biochemical Questions:1.How can Immunoglobulins recognize so many different epitopes?
2.What does an antibody protein look like?
3.How do specific antibodies work as proteins binding so many different specific antigenic determinants?
Genetic Question:
How can this diversity of structure leading to enormous diversity of function be coded and controlled by a very limited host genome?
How can we have “one gene - one polypeptide” and make a virtually limitless selection of polypeptides?
Problems for Genetics in Generating Antibody Sequence Diversity
Vast Sequence Diversity-Encoded by Very Limit Genome
Heavy and Light Chain Sequence Variations-Almost Exclusively in only one region
Exactly the same V-region sequences-End up on different C-region Isotypes.
How is all of this possible?????
Myeloma Cell DNADifferentiated Neoplastic Plasma Cell making a single antibody.
Myeloma Cell Conclusions
Variable and conserved regions of light chain are linked in the differentiated end-product cell line
DNA coding for the mRNA for the light chain is all in oneContinuous sequence as for any gene for any protein.
Embryonic Mouse Cell DNA
Variable and conserved regions of light chain are not linked originally in the stem cell lineage!
Immunology and Phone Numbers315-443-1870212-345-1775478-367-8903537-503-2078409-159-6309610-970-3970934-620-8122909-603-7023800-620-6021704-590-5307703-725-0153207-502-6671435-431-0890412-830-0048740-592-1954307-620-4450490-501-5672601-909-7002554-891-7712335-592-0944
20 Phone Numbers
Immunology and Phone Numbers-443-1870-345-1775-367-8903-503-2078-159-6309-970-3970-620-8122-603-7023-620-6021-590-5307-725-0153-502-6671-431-0890-830-0048-592-1954-620-4450-501-5672-909-7002-891-7712-592-0944
315-212-478-537-409-610-934-909-800-704-703-207-435-412-740-307-490-601-554-335-
400 Phone Numbers
Immunology and Phone Numbers-1870-1775-8903-2078-6309-3970-8122-7023-6021-5307-0153-6671-0890-0048-1954-4450-5672-7002-7712-0944
315-212-478-537-409-610-934-909-800-704-703-207-435-412-740-307-490-601-554-335-
-443--345--367--503--159--970--620--603--620--590--725--502--431--830--592--620--501--909--891--592-
8000 Phone Numbers
Kappa Chain DNA: Vk’s
This and the next two slides deal with Kappa Light Chain DNA. Human Kappa DNA was 41 different “V” region genes to work with, and 5 “J” region genes. (205 Possibilities)
Lambda light chain DNA works the same way except that the Human Lambda light chain works with 33 “V” regions and 5 “J” region genes. (165 Possibilities)
Note on Pseudo J-region gene
Kappa Chain: K-J- C
Complete Kappa Chain
Heavy Chain Dna: VH’s, C-Genes
This and the next two slides deal with Heavy chain DNA. Human heavy chain DNA has 41 “V” region genes to work with, 23 “D” (diversification) region genes, and 6 “J” (joining) region genes.
5658 Possibilities even with no additional variations
Coupling a VH option with DH option and a JH option to a Cu gene sequence would give a Mu Heavy chain isotype with a specific antibody recognizing specificity.
Coupling that exact same VH-DH-JH genetic information to Cd or Cg or Ce or Ca Heavy chain isotype gene would give the exact same antigen specificity on a different isotype.
We would have Isotype Switching
Chain Structures of the five immunoglobulin classes in humans
(adapted from Kuby, 2nd edition)
Class Heavy Light Sub-Classes Subunit Formula
Chain Chain
IgG γ κ or λ γ1, γ2, γ3, γ4 γ2κ2 γ2λ2
IgA α κ or λ α1, α2 (α2κ2)n (α2λ2)n n =1,2,3,4
IgM μ κ or λ None (μ2κ2)n (μ2λ2)n
n = 1 or 5
IgD δ κ or λ None δ2κ2 δ2λ2
IgE ε κ or λ None ε2κ2 ε2λ2
Complete Heavy Chain
The puzzle of immunoglobulin gene structure
• B cells use groups of PARTS of genes to create different possible antibodies using recombination– Like shuffling a deck of cards, dealing out different hands– Tightly regulated machinery controls the recombination
processes
The puzzle of immunoglobulin gene structure
• B cells use groups of PARTS of genes to create different possible antibodies using recombination– There are variable (V), diversity (D), joining (J), and constant (C)
region gene segments• D segments are used in antibody heavy chains only
Multigene organization of Ig genes• Recall that Ig proteins consist of:
– two identical heavy chains– two identical light chains
• Light chains can be either kappa or lambda– Each set of gene families are encoded on separate
chromosomes
The mechanism of V(D)J recombination• Five mechanisms generate antibody diversity in naïve B
cells– Multiple gene segments―which gene segments are put together– P nucleotide addition―templated nucleotide addition between
joints, resulting from assymetrical cleaving of hairpin structures– Exonuclease trimming―sometimes occurs at junctions, losing
nucleotides and changing reading frames– Non-templated N nucleotide addition―mediated by TdT activity,
adding in random nucleotides between joints
Combinatorial diversity―which heavy chains pair with which light chains
The mechanism of V(D)J recombination• Five mechanisms generate antibody diversity in
naïve B cells (See previous slide)
Additional sequence diversity estimated at several orders of magnitude (i.e. perhaps 1000-fold) is generated by junctional flexibility, nucleotide addition, and somatic hypermutation. This allows for an estimated 100 million to a billion different possible antibody seuquences in humans.
B-Cell Differenatiation
B-cell receptor expression• Allelic exclusion ensures that each B cell synthesizes only one heavy
and one light chain.Recombination is a very ordered process.Nonproductive arrangements lead to programmed cell death (apoptosis) during development.
Detailed genetic mechanisms for generating antibody diversity are shown in Chapter 7 of Edition 7.
These specifics are beyond the scope of this introductory course but are important for those interested in advanced work in immunobiology or medical genetics.
Please put away all notes and devices other than your XR transmitter.
No consulting or reading notes is permitted. No online searches.This are graded response questions.
In the previous slide there were three different regions of genetic information shown that are combined to make
antibody chains. “V” stands for variable.What do “J” and “C” stand for?
(You can shorten the 2 responses if you run out of characters)
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When exactly the same V-region specificity of an antibody is genetically linked to different C-region genes (mu, delta,
gamma, alpha, or epsilon) that is called
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ____.
switching.
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If you have 40 V-Region genes for a kappa light chain and 5 joining-region genes with one constant region gene for the kappa light chain, all of the V-region and J-region genes are used, and there are no errors in putting these pieces together, how many different kappa light chain
sequences can you make?
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