Antibodies are encoded by a very unique protein-coding system, in which somatic rearrangements happen in the coding genes.
Generation of antibody diversityĪntibody, also known as immunoglobulin (Ig), is the molecule produced by B cell that can specifically recognize and neutralize a variety of antigens. The precursor of T cells migrate through peripheral blood to the thymus, where they finish the differentiation and the maturation, while the maturation of B cells from the progenitors occurs mostly in the bone marrow. Both T and B cells originate from the pluripotent stem cells in the bone marrow. Bearing the significant functions in the immune system, T and B lymphocytes are derived, differentiated, and mature in different organs and tissues. Therefore, the diversity of TCR and antibody repertoire could reflect the adaptive immune status to some extent. In addition, pressures from both the internal and the outside environment, such as pathogen exposure, tumor formation, and autoimmune reaction, could affect the diversity of TCR and antibody by expanding the “pressure”-associated T/B cells. A powerful adaptive immune system relies on the generation of diversified TCRs and antibodies to recognize the enormous variety of antigens. T and B lymphocytes are two prolific and functionally important cells that play pivotal roles. The adaptive immunity consists of two major components, cellular immunity and humoral immunity, which are highly specific to particular pathogens. However, challenges still remain both in the experimental pipeline and the analytical tools to handle the huge amount of data, and various potential solutions are being developed to fulfill the comprehensive application and translation of this technique.
The emergence of high-throughput sequencing (HTS) technique enables scientists to investigate the repertoire in an unprecedented level.
Historically, scientific reports on the TCR and BCR repertoire are unlikely to grasp the whole picture due to the unavailability of high-throughput and sensitive tools. On the other hand, antibodies can bind to and neutralize the antigens directly. The diversified TCRs can recognize and bind to the various epitopes of the antigens presented by the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecule of the antigen presenting cells and form a TCR-antigen-MHC structure complex. The normal function of adaptive immunity relies on the generation of diverse T cell receptors (TCRs) that are expressed on the cell membrane of T lymphocytes, and B cell receptors (BCRs), also known as immunoglobulin (Ig) or antibody in the secreting form, which are expressed by B lymphocytes.
0 kommentar(er)
