IUBio

Interaction among B cell, T cell, & macrophage

Klaus D. Elgert kdelgert at vt.edu
Tue Sep 5 15:59:20 EST 1995


Immunology netters:

Along the recent lines of posting questions asked, in this case, by a
graduate student during an undergraduate immunology lecture on antigens.  I
told her to see me later in the week, so how about some help before she
gets here.   The jest of her two questions was something like this (I
think).  We have a B cell specific for antigen X.  It captures antigen X by
its antibody receptors.  These antibody receptors are directed against a
specific epitope.  Question 1:  Once the B cell internalizes antigen X, how
does it display (or know to display) the same epitope (peptide) by its
class II molecules to the appropriate Th cell TCR?  Question 2:  If it is
the same epitope, how does this Th cell become primed to the same peptide,
through macrophage peptide-class II complex presentation, so that it can
help the appropriate anti-X B cell?  (When T cells do not recognize the
same epitopes that B cells do.)  This B cell then undergoes differentiation
into a plasma cell, secreting antibody that reacts to the capture epitope.

Thanks in advance for your responses.

Ciao,
Klaus Elgert
Dept. Biology
Microbiology & Immunology Section
Virginia Tech





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