Fragment crystallizable region

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An antibody digested by papain yields three fragments, two Fab fragments and one Fc fragment 2fab fc.svg
An antibody digested by papain yields three fragments, two Fab fragments and one Fc fragment
An antibody digested by pepsin yields two fragments: a F(ab')2 fragment and a pFc' fragment F ab2 pFc.png
An antibody digested by pepsin yields two fragments: a F(ab')2 fragment and a pFc' fragment

The fragment crystallizable region (Fc region) is the tail region of an antibody that interacts with cell surface receptors called Fc receptors and some proteins of the complement system. This region allows antibodies to activate the immune system, for example, through binding to Fc receptors. In IgG, IgA and IgD antibody isotypes, the Fc region is composed of two identical protein fragments, derived from the second and third constant domains of the antibody's two heavy chains; IgM and IgE Fc regions contain three heavy chain constant domains (CH domains 2–4) in each polypeptide chain. [1] [2] The Fc regions of IgGs bear a highly conserved N-glycosylation site. [3] [4] Glycosylation of the Fc fragment is essential for Fc receptor-mediated activity. [5] The N-glycans attached to this site are predominantly core-fucosylated diantennary structures of the complex type. In addition, small amounts of these N-glycans also bear bisecting GlcNAc and α-2,6 linked sialic acid residues. [3]

Contents

The other part of an antibody, called the Fab region, contains variable sections that define the specific target that the antibody can bind. By contrast, the Fc region of all antibodies in a class are the same for each species; they are constant rather than variable. The Fc region is, therefore, sometimes incorrectly termed the "fragment constant region".

Fc binds to various cell receptors and complement proteins. In this way, it mediates different physiological effects of antibodies (detection of opsonized particles; cell lysis; degranulation of mast cells, basophils, and eosinophils; and other processes). [6]

Engineered Fc fragments

In a new development in the field of antibody-based therapeutics, the Fc region of immunoglobulins has been engineered to contain an antigen-binding site. [7] This type of antigen-binding fragment is called Fcab. Fcab fragments can be inserted into a full immunoglobulin by swapping the Fc region, thus obtaining a bispecific antibody (with both Fab and Fcab regions containing distinct binding sites). These bispecific monoclonal antibodies are sometimes referred to as mAb2. [8]

See also

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antibody</span> Protein(s) forming a major part of an organisms immune system

An antibody (Ab), also known as an immunoglobulin (Ig), is a large, Y-shaped protein used by the immune system to identify and neutralize foreign objects such as pathogenic bacteria and viruses. The antibody recognizes a unique molecule of the pathogen, called an antigen. Each tip of the "Y" of an antibody contains a paratope that is specific for one particular epitope on an antigen, allowing these two structures to bind together with precision. Using this binding mechanism, an antibody can tag a microbe or an infected cell for attack by other parts of the immune system, or can neutralize it directly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Immunoglobulin G</span> Antibody isotype

Immunoglobulin G (IgG) is a type of antibody. Representing approximately 75% of serum antibodies in humans, IgG is the most common type of antibody found in blood circulation. IgG molecules are created and released by plasma B cells. Each IgG antibody has two paratopes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Immunoglobulin D</span> Antibody isotype

Immunoglobulin D (IgD) is an antibody isotype that makes up about 1% of proteins in the plasma membranes of immature B-lymphocytes where it is usually co-expressed with another cell surface antibody called IgM. IgD is also produced in a secreted form that is found in very small amounts in blood serum, representing 0.25% of immunoglobulins in serum. The relative molecular mass and half-life of secreted IgD is 185 kDa and 2.8 days, respectively. Secreted IgD is produced as a monomeric antibody with two heavy chains of the delta (δ) class, and two Ig light chains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Single-chain variable fragment</span> Fragment

A single-chain variable fragment (scFv) is not actually a fragment of an antibody, but instead is a fusion protein of the variable regions of the heavy (VH) and light chains (VL) of immunoglobulins, connected with a short linker peptide of ten to about 25 amino acids. The linker is usually rich in glycine for flexibility, as well as serine or threonine for solubility, and can either connect the N-terminus of the VH with the C-terminus of the VL, or vice versa. This protein retains the specificity of the original immunoglobulin, despite removal of the constant regions and the introduction of the linker. The image to the right shows how this modification usually leaves the specificity unaltered.

The terms glycans and polysaccharides are defined by IUPAC as synonyms meaning "compounds consisting of a large number of monosaccharides linked glycosidically". However, in practice the term glycan may also be used to refer to the carbohydrate portion of a glycoconjugate, such as a glycoprotein, glycolipid, or a proteoglycan, even if the carbohydrate is only an oligosaccharide. Glycans usually consist solely of O-glycosidic linkages of monosaccharides. For example, cellulose is a glycan composed of β-1,4-linked D-glucose, and chitin is a glycan composed of β-1,4-linked N-acetyl-D-glucosamine. Glycans can be homo- or heteropolymers of monosaccharide residues, and can be linear or branched.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fc receptor</span> Surface protein important to the immune system

In immunology, an Fc receptor is a protein found on the surface of certain cells – including, among others, B lymphocytes, follicular dendritic cells, natural killer cells, macrophages, neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, human platelets, and mast cells – that contribute to the protective functions of the immune system. Its name is derived from its binding specificity for a part of an antibody known as the Fc region. Fc receptors bind to antibodies that are attached to infected cells or invading pathogens. Their activity stimulates phagocytic or cytotoxic cells to destroy microbes, or infected cells by antibody-mediated phagocytosis or antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Some viruses such as flaviviruses use Fc receptors to help them infect cells, by a mechanism known as antibody-dependent enhancement of infection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Protein A</span>

Protein A is a 42 kDa surface protein originally found in the cell wall of the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus. It is encoded by the spa gene and its regulation is controlled by DNA topology, cellular osmolarity, and a two-component system called ArlS-ArlR. It has found use in biochemical research because of its ability to bind immunoglobulins. It is composed of five homologous Ig-binding domains that fold into a three-helix bundle. Each domain is able to bind proteins from many mammalian species, most notably IgGs. It binds the heavy chain within the Fc region of most immunoglobulins and also within the Fab region in the case of the human VH3 family. Through these interactions in serum, where IgG molecules are bound in the wrong orientation, the bacteria disrupts opsonization and phagocytosis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fragment antigen-binding</span>

The fragment antigen-binding region is a region on an antibody that binds to antigens. It is composed of one constant and one variable domain of each of the heavy and the light chain. The variable domain contains the paratope, comprising a set of complementarity-determining regions, at the amino terminal end of the monomer. Each arm of the Y thus binds an epitope on the antigen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CD22</span> Lectin molecule

CD22, or cluster of differentiation-22, is a molecule belonging to the SIGLEC family of lectins. It is found on the surface of mature B cells and to a lesser extent on some immature B cells. Generally speaking, CD22 is a regulatory molecule that prevents the overactivation of the immune system and the development of autoimmune diseases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isotype (immunology)</span>

In immunology, antibodies are classified into several types called isotypes or classes. The variable (V) regions near the tip of the antibody can differ from molecule to molecule in countless ways, allowing it to specifically target an antigen . In contrast, the constant (C) regions only occur in a few variants, which define the antibody's class. Antibodies of different classes activate distinct effector mechanisms in response to an antigen . They appear at different stages of an immune response, differ in structural features, and in their location around the body.

CD4 immunoadhesin is a recombinant fusion protein consisting of a combination of CD4 and the fragment crystallizable region, similarly known as immunoglobulin. It belongs to the antibody (Ig) gene family. CD4 is a surface receptor for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The CD4 immunoadhesin molecular fusion allow the protein to possess key functions from each independent subunit. The CD4 specific properties include the gp120-binding and HIV-blocking capabilities. Properties specific to immunoglobulin are the long plasma half-life and Fc receptor binding. The properties of the protein means that it has potential to be used in AIDS therapy as of 2017. Specifically, CD4 immunoadhesin plays a role in antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) towards HIV-infected cells. While natural anti-gp120 antibodies exhibit a response towards uninfected CD4-expressing cells that have a soluble gp120 bound to the CD4 on the cell surface, CD4 immunoadhesin, however, will not exhibit a response. One of the most relevant of these possibilities is its ability to cross the placenta.

A bispecific monoclonal antibody is an artificial protein that can simultaneously bind to two different types of antigen or two different epitopes on the same antigen. Naturally occurring antibodies typically only target one antigen. BsAbs can be manufactured in several structural formats. BsAbs can be designed to recruit and activate immune cells, to interfere with receptor signaling and inactivate signaling ligands, and to force association of protein complexes. BsAbs have been explored for cancer immunotherapy, drug delivery, and Alzeimer's disease.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Immunoglobulin heavy constant alpha 1</span> Gene in the species Homo sapiens

Immunoglobulin heavy constant alpha 1 is a immunoglobulin gene with symbol IGHA1. It encodes a constant (C) segment of Immunoglobulin A heavy chain. Immunoglobulin A is an antibody that plays a critical role in immune function in the mucous membranes. IgA shows the same typical structure of other antibody classes, with two heavy chains and two light chains, and four distinct domains: one variable region, and three variable regions. As a major class of immunoglobulin in body secretions, IgA plays a role in defending against infection, as well as preventing the access of foreign antigens to the immunologic system.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to immunology:

Primary and secondary antibodies are two groups of antibodies that are classified based on whether they bind to antigens or proteins directly or target another (primary) antibody that, in turn, is bound to an antigen or protein.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chemically linked Fab</span>

Two chemically linked fragments antigen-binding form an artificial antibody that binds to two different antigens, making it a type of bispecific antibody. They are fragments antigen-binding of two different monoclonal antibodies and are linked by chemical means like a thioether. Typically, one of the Fabs binds to a tumour antigen and the other to a protein on the surface of an immune cell, for example an Fc receptor on a macrophage. In this way, tumour cells are attached to immune cells, which destroy them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SpAB protein domain</span>

In molecular biology, the domain B, refers to the immunoglobulin-binding domain found in the Staphylococcus aureus virulence factor protein A (SpA). Hence, it is abbreviated to SpAB.

Fcabs are antibodies fragments engineered from the constant region of an antibody (Fc). In naturally occurring antibodies, the antigen-binding sites are located at the variable regions (Fab).

F-star Biotechnology Ltd. is a biotechnology company, founded in Vienna in 2006, with a current main research site in Cambridge, UK. The company is focused in developing bispecific monoclonal antibodies using a modular combinatorial approach that engineers the Fc constant region of an immunoglobulin into a novel antigen-binding site.

Recombinant antibodies are antibody fragments produced by using recombinant antibody coding genes. They mostly consist of a heavy and light chain of the variable region of immunoglobulin. Recombinant antibodies have many advantages in both medical and research applications, which make them a popular subject of exploration and new production against specific targets. The most commonly used form is the single chain variable fragment (scFv), which has shown the most promising traits exploitable in human medicine and research. In contrast to monoclonal antibodies produced by hybridoma technology, which may lose the capacity to produce the desired antibody over time or the antibody may undergo unwanted changes, which affect its functionality, recombinant antibodies produced in phage display maintain high standard of specificity and low immunogenicity.

References

  1. ↑ Janeway, CA Jr.; et al. (2001). Immunobiology (5th ed.). Garland Publishing. ISBN   978-0-8153-3642-6.
  2. ↑ Larsson, Lars-Inge (September 1988). Immunocytochemistry: Theory and practice. Crc Press. ISBN   978-0-8493-6078-7.
  3. 1 2 Stadlmann J, Pabst M, Kolarich D, Kunert R, Altmann F (2008). "Analysis of immunoglobulin glycosylation by LC-ESI-MS of glycopeptides and oligosaccharides". Proteomics. 8 (14): 2858–2871. doi:10.1002/pmic.200700968. PMID   18655055. S2CID   22821543.
  4. ↑ Stadlmann J, Weber A, Pabst M, Anderle H, Kunert R, Ehrlich HJ, Peter Schwarz H, Altmann F (2009). "A close look at human IgG sialylation and subclass distribution after lectin fractionation". Proteomics. 9 (17): 4143–4153. doi:10.1002/pmic.200800931. PMID   19688751. S2CID   19147733.
  5. ↑ Peipp M, Lammerts van Bueren JJ, Schneider-Merck T, Bleeker WW, Dechant M, Beyer T, Repp R, van Berkel PH, Vink T, van de Winkel JG, Parren PW, Valerius T (2008). "Antibody fucosylation differentially impacts cytotoxicity mediated by NK and PMN effector cells". Blood. 112 (6): 2390–2399. doi: 10.1182/blood-2008-03-144600 . PMID   18566325.
  6. ↑ Paul, William (2013). Fundamental Immunology (Seventh ed.). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. p. 1401–142. ISBN   978-1-4511-1783-7 . Retrieved 31 December 2015.
  7. ↑ Wozniak-Knopp G, Bartl S, Bauer A, Mostageer M, Woisetschläger M, Antes B, Ettl K, Kainer M, Weberhofer G, Wiederkum S, Himmler G, Mudde GC, Rüker F (2010). "Introducing antigen-binding sites in structural loops of immunoglobulin constant domains: Fc fragments with engineered HER2/neu-binding sites and antibody properties". Protein Eng Des. 23 (4): 289–297. doi: 10.1093/protein/gzq005 . PMID   20150180.
  8. ↑ "MAb2™ Bispecific Monoclonal Antibodies". Archived from the original on 2013-07-08. Retrieved 2013-08-13.
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