FSU PCB 4233 - Immunology study guide for Quiz 1

Immunology study guide for Quiz 1 (Part 1) Introduction: What is immunity?Immunity is the ability of an organism to recognize and neutralize a foreign substanceExamples: Bacteria, Fungi, Viruses, parasites, tumor cells, or biochemicals (toxins)The immune system protects against four classes of pathogen1) Extracellular bacteria, parasites, fungi2) Intracellular bacteria, parasites3) Viruses (intracellular)4) Extracellular Parasites (worms)An antigen is a substance that has the potential to elicit an immune responseAn immunogen is a substance that has already generated an immune response.There are two categories of immunity1) Nonspecific (Innate, Natural, Native) Immunity: is alwayspresent, repeated exposure does not increase response. It is a propertyof all living organisms. Examples: Biochemical in blood, tears, saliva, skin secretions; certain blood and tissuecellsa) Innate immunity generally responds to general pathogens2) Specific (Adaptive, Acquired) Immunity: Found in vertebrates anda few other organismsa) Recognition can be very specificb) Repeated encounters evoke stronger and more efficient responses:Immunological memoryc) Basis of immunizationThere are two arms of Effectors of specific immunity1) Humoral: mediated by antibodies; responsible for detecting and destroying antigens on or outside of cells (humoral effectors float around in body fluids; like lymph ect)2) Cellular: mediated by cells: responsible for detecting and destroying antigens inside of the cell (Example: lymphocytes)Each arm can recognize and discriminate between billions of different antigensImmunoglobulin (Ig) structure and antigen (Ag) terminologyImmunoglobulin is another name for antibodies (These are effector molecules)Antibodies (Abs) are the effectors of humoral immunityThe epitope is the area where the Abs targets the moleculeThe Lymphocyte is the effector of cellular immunityThe History of ImmunologyThe earliest efforts in immunology were based on folk medicine●In the 1500s, Indians (Asian) inhaled smallpox scabs●In 1720, Lady Montague (A member of English royalty) observed the practice in turkey and brought it to England●In 1796, Edward Jenner discovered "vaccination" He noticed that milkmaids who had gotten cowpox did not get smallpox This phenomenon is cross-reactivity: Ab against one agent cross-reacts with a related agent, i.e., the two agents are biochemically similar enough that the Ab can see both.Jenner deliberately exposed patients to cowpox then challenged them with smallpox Predicted that his technique would wipe out smallpox He was right, but it took 182 years●Benjamin Jesty was an English farmer who deliberately exposed his wife and sons to cowpox, both were later exposed to smallpox without effect. He predated Jenner by ~20 years, but he was not widely known●In the 1880's, Louis Pasteur (The father of immunology) worked with chicken cholera, rabbitsHe used attenuated cultures (weakened cultures) as vaccinesThe first person to be vaccinated was Joseph Meister●Elie Metchnikoff, a Russian zoologist in the 1880's, asked the question: What is the basis of immunity?He observed cells in tissues attacking bacteria and other foreign objectsHe termed them macrophages and microphages (Now called neutrophils)He declared that these cells were the basis for immunity●Emile Roux and Alexandre YersinIn 1888, they neutralized diphtheria and tetanus toxins with antisera to toxoids (partially denatured toxins) They demonstrated in vitro neutralization; therefore, cells could not be the basis of immunityExperiment: In vitro neutralization = Temporary protection1) They injected an animal with a toxinThe animal died2) They injected the animal with a toxoid The animal did not die(3) The combined the serum* of the toxoid injected animal with the toxin and injected this cocktail into a new animal and there is no harmful effect**Key here is that the serum does not contain cells*** The animal livedThe antibodies in the serum neutralized the toxinThis experiment demonstrated that the cells are not the basis of immunity ●Emil (von) Behring and Shibasaburo KitasatoIn 1890, described passive immunity. Antiserum to diphtheria and tetanus toxin protected animals when injected prior to bacterial or toxin exposure.Experiment: In vivo neutralization: Passive immunity = Temporary Protection1) Injecting the animal resulted in a dead animal, same as in last experiment 2) They injected an animal with toxoid, the animal did not die, and then they took serum from that animal3) Instead of mixing the serum with a toxoid, they injected just the serum into a different animal4) After a period of time, they injected the animal with the toxin and the animal survived.The animal does not develop memory because the immunity was acquiredfrom the serum, which has no cells, only molecules, and the molecules havefinite half life (in the order of weeks Once the antibodies decay, there is nomore immunity.●Paul Ehrlich's side chain theory 1896Proposed that cells produce side chains (What we now recognize as antibodies) that have varying specificities. Antigen binds specific side chain and induces increased production and secretion He imagined that there must be cells in the body that had complimentary molecules on their surface to the toxinThere must be some interaction between the toxin and the side chain that would stimulate the cell to produce more side chainsCellular immunity rediscovered ● (Sir) Peter Brian Medawar (RAF) in the 1940's (WWII) He was a flight surgeon and was faced with the treatment of a lot of burn victims He experimented with tissue grafts and observed the following: If he gave patient a skin graft, and if was not from the patient himself (an allograph), it would eventually be rejected- become necrotic and slough off. This would happen even if the graft was taken from a live donor. If he tried to de a second graft from the same donor, the graft would be rejected much more quickly than the first time. If the second graph was not from the same donor, it would be rejected just as slowly as the first graft. (Due to immunological memory)He determined that this was an immunological issue and he was able to demonstrate that there were no antibodies involved.Experiment: Adoptive transfer of immunity =