• Antibodies = immunoglobulins = gamma globulins

•
○ Albumins are the most negatively charged and
smallest M.W so they travel most to the positive pole in
electrophoresis
○ Albumins around 70kD, Globulins 90-120kD
• Antibodies are glycoproteins. They are tetrapeptides with
2 heavy chains and 2 light chains held together by disulfide bonds
○ (wiki: In IgA2, the heavy and light chains are
not linked with disulfide, but with noncovalent bonds)
○

•
○ Sad face = (epitopes of) antigen
○ The variable domains of the heavy chain and light
chain are on the amino ends of the peptide chains
§
• IgM and IgE have 4 constant domains of the heavy chain
(they are longer). The other Igs have 3.
○
• Fc portion of antibody: = Fragment which cristalizes
(after splitting the antibody into 3 by action of Papain). Mnemonic
the "c" also tells us that this is the carboxyl end of the antibody,
and that it is the part that does the complement activation, part
that helps cross the placenta (IgG only), catching cells
○ Fab = Fragment of antigen binding
○
• There are electrostatic forces and Van de Walls bond
between the antibody and antigen (when they are specific for each
other). These are weak bonds (not ionic), they are hydrogen bonds
and hydrophobic bonds.

• 2nd lesson
•
○ J-Component (/J-Chain, J for "joining") holds
various antiobodies together. IgA is dimer and IgM is pentamer or
hexamer
§
§ NB: pentamers have a decavalency, etc.
• Affinity va avidity
○
○ Affinity is the strength of the bond, but only at
1 point of the antigen-antibody bond
○ E.g. IgA is dimer so it has more avidity
• There are 5 classes of heavy chains but only 2 classes of
light chains (kappa and lambda)
•
•
○ 4 subtypes of IgG and 2 of IgA
• IgM
○ Can act as a BCR. It is normally expressed on the
surface of B lymphocytes. They act as receptors for the different
antigens that may appear. These are some of the BCRs. IgD are the
other BCRs. Thus, BCRs can be IgM or IgD
 ○
○ can also be present in serum, is normally
pentameric and since it is large it is mostly distributed in the
plasma (not interstitial fluid)
§ In the serum, it is an aglutinating
antibody (forms mesh-like network)
§ It's the main antibody of the primary
response
§
○ Can activate the complement (C1), by its Fc
portion (classical complement pathway)
§
○ IgMs CANNOT opsonize the bacteria because its Fc
portion has no receptors on phagocytic cells (IgG CAN)
• IgG
○ The most abundant Ig (then AMED)
○ The Ig of the secondary response
○ IgG has a longer half life than IgM
○ Monomer
○ Crosses Placenta. There are igG receptors on the
placental cells (facing maternal blood) that bind to the Fc portion
of the IgG. After, the IgG gets endocytosed. (nb: if a newborn baby
has IgM (doesnt cross) against a specific organism then it was
exposed to it during intrauterine life. This is not the case for IgG
whereby he got it from the mother)
○ Activates the complement system (classical
pathway) (IgM also)
○ Acts as opsonin (neutrophils have receptors for
Fc portion of IgG) (NOT IgM)
○ Neutralizes virus (and toxins. ataches to them so
that they cant enter cell) (IgM also)
○ No aglutination (unlike IgM)
• IgA
○ Present in blood, mucosal linings, secretions
§ Circulates in plasma as monomer (IgA1),
but elsewhere as dimer
§
§ It is secreted in GI (and other mucosal
linings) as dimer, so that the complex in the GI (and other mucosal
linings) lumen attaches to the virus or bacteria, but prevents the
virus from coming in to the GI tract (because there is a secretory
complex but no complex for it to go back in)
§ Baby gets IgA from maternal milk, and it
lines the GI mucosa to protect the baby
○ Activates complement by alternate pathway (vs
classical pathway in IgG and IgM)
• IgE
○ AKA cytophillic antibody (binds mast cells, which
have Rs for Fc portion)
○ Monomer
○ Allergens bind to the multiple IgEs on the mast
cells or basophils, and lead to the release of different mediators
§ Related to Type 1 hypersensitivity
reactions
 §
○ Defence against helminths (parasites) such as
Ascaris, Strongyloides, Hookworms, Trichinella
§ Via Receptors on Eosinophils
□
§ The eosinophils release granules with
Major Basic Proteins
□
• IgD
○ Present in very small amount in blood, and in B
cells as a BCR (along with IgM)
• Another way to classify the antibodies:
○ into Allotypes, Isotypes, Idiotypes
○ Allotype: Each immunoglobulin has unique
sequences particular to an individual's genome that manifest
themselve in the constant region of heavy or light chains
(normally). Used for paternity testing. One person has 1 allotype.
○ Isotype: The different classes GAMED (i.e. the
constant of the heavy chain). NB: the isotypes between me and Dr
Najeeb are the same. One person has 5 isotypes.
○ Idiotypes: Antibodies that bind to different
specific epitopes. All antibodies made by 1 clone of B cells have
the same variable region (same idiotype). Depends on A.A sequence of
variable region. One person may have millions of idiotypes. An anti-
idiotype antibody (e.g. produced by a donkey) means that the
donkey's antibody will react with the variable region.