Antibodies: B Cell Receptors
Updated 02/10/01

Resources Objectives Procedures Marks  
         
Kuby's
Immunology		 Immunology Reference
Shelf		 Carney's Learning
Techniques		 To Tortora's
Microbiology		 Immunology
Laboratory

 

This Lab exercise contains a Description of the needed source materials, a list of objectives, a detailed description of each of the objectives and the marking scheme

Submit your report electronically to the Assignment B Cell receptors via the assignment icon of the course website.

OBJECTIVES:

  1. To use the Protein Data Bank
  2. To use RasMol to construct three dimensional models of protein
  3. Review the background concepts about epitopes
  4. Build a model showing continous epitopes
  5. Build a model showing discontinous epitopes
  6. Build a model showing the antigen binding site of an antibody

OBJECTIVE 1: Using the Protein Data Bank

You need to be able to retrieve files containing structural data from the Protein Data Bank. You can review the exercise on Using thr Protein Data Bank if you are not familiar with this procedure

OBJECTIVE 2: Using Rasmol

You need to be able to use a graphics program such as Rasmol, Chime or Protein Explorer. You can goto the exercise on  Using RasMol if you need to refresh your memory or skills

OBJECTIVE 3: Background Concepts

Background concepts about continuous epitopes recognized by B Cells

  1. The antigen-binding site on the antibody molecule limits the size of a B-cell epitope.
  2. Epitopes on native proteins are composed of hydrophilic and surface exposed amino acids.
  3. Epitopes include sequential and non sequential amino acids.
  4. Epitopes are often located on the most flexible regions: turns, N and C-termini, sites with high mobility
  5. Native, complex proteins can have multiple overlapping B-cell epitopes.

Background concepts about epitopes recognized by T cells

  1. T cells bind onto fragments of proteins that have been first broken down within another cell
  2. T cells only recognize continous epitopes
  3. The epitopes recognized by T cells are larger than those recognized by B Cells

OBJECTIVE 4: Build a model showing continous epitopes

Assignments for Objective 4 Continous Eptiopes

 

OBJECTIVE 5: Build a model showing discontinous epitopesof Lysozyme

Assignments for  Objective 5: Discontinous epitopes

OBJECTIVE 6: Build a model showing the antigen binding site of an antibody

Assignments for Objective 6

 

 

MARKS

Total 5 points for B cell epitopes

three dimensional model(s) of myoglobin -1point

three dimensional model(s) of lysozyme -1point

three dimensional model(s) of Fab lysozyme -3point