ANTIGEN

Dr. Subhash Lal Karn, PhD

Associate Professor
Department of Microbiology
NGMC, Chisapani

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 INTRODUCTION
• Antigen is any foreign substance which, when
introduced parentally into the body stimulates
the production of an antibody with which it
reacts specifically and in an observable manner.
• Antigen is not necessarily a microbe or its
product.
• Foreign protein like egg albumin, red blood
cells, plant or animal tissue, vegetable protein
or snake venom act as antigen.
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 Definitions
• Substances that can be recognized by
immunoglobulin receptor of B cells, or by the
T cell receptor when complexed with MHC.
• Molecules that interact specifically with the
product of immune response generated by an
immunogen, that is with antibodies, B cell
receptors( BCRs) and or T cell receptors( TCRs)

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Immunogenicity verses antigenicity
• Immunogenicity and antigenicity are related
but distinct immunologic properties that
sometimes are confused.
• Immunogenicity is the ability to induce a
humoral and/or cell mediated immune
response:
• Although a substance that induces a specific
immune response is usually called an antigen,
it is more appropriately called an immunogen.
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• Antigenicity is the ability to combine
specifically with the final products of the
immune responses (i.e., antibodies and/or
cell-surface receptors).
• Although all molecules that have the property
of immunogenicity also have the property of
antigenicity, the reverse is not true.

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 Two attributes of antigenicity
1. Immunogenicity ( induction of an immune
response)

2. Immunological reactivity ( specific reaction

with antibodies or sensitized cells)

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 Classification of antigen
1. Complete antigen : Substances which can induce antibody
formation by themselves and can react specifically with
these antibodies

2. Incomplete antigen (haptens): substances unable to induce

antibody formation on its own but can become
immunogenic when covalently linked to proteins, called
carrier proteins
1. Simple ( non precipitating, univalent)
2. Complex ( precipitating, polyvalent)
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 Epitope
• Smallest unit of antigenicity is known as the
antigenic determinant or epitope.
• Small area on antigen , usually consisting of four
or five amino acids or monosachharides residues
possessing a specific chemical structure, electrical
charge and steric ( spatial) configuration.
• Capable of sensitizing immunocyte and of
reacting with its complementary site on the
specific antibody or TCR.

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Schematic representation of two antibodies interacting with linear and
conformational epitopes. a. Linear epitopes are short and continuous. After
denaturation the linear epitopes may still be able to bind the antibody. b.
Conformational epitopes are domains of proteins composed of specific regions of
protein chains. After denaturation the discontinuous epitope can no longer bind
the antibody.
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 APC = e.g., Macrophage

MHC
Class II CD4
Peptide
Antigen
TCR

CD4 T Cell
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 Determinants of antigenicity
1. Size
– Larger molecules are highly antigenic
– Particles with low molecular weight are either non
antigenic or weakly antigenic.
– Low mol. wt. substance can be rendered antigenic
by adsorbing them on large inert particles such as
bentonite or kaolin.

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2. Chemical nature
– Most naturally occurring antigens are either
proteins or polysaccharides.
– Certain degree of structural diversity is required
for antigenicity.
– Lipids and nucleic acids are less antigenic on their
own but do so when combined with proteins.

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3. Susceptibility to tissue enzymes
– Only substances which are metabolized and
susceptible to the action of tissue enzyme
behave as antigen.
– Large insoluble molecules which are readily
phagocytosed and processed, are more
immunogenic as compared to small soluble
molecules.

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4. Foreignness
– In order to elicit an immune response, a molecule must
be recognized as nonself by the biological system.
– The capacity to recognize nonself is accompanied by
tolerance of self, a specific unresponsiveness to self
antigens
– Only antigens that are foreign to the individual induce
an immune response.
– The degree of its antigenicity depends on the degree of
its foreignness.

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 Antigenic specificity
1. Species specificity
2. Isospecificity
3. Auto specificity
4. Organ specificity
5. Heterogenic (heterophile ) specificity

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 Superantigen
• When the immune system encounters a
conventional T-dependent antigen, only a
small fraction of the T cell population is able
to recognize the antigen and become
activated (monoclonal/oligoclonal response).
• However, there are some antigens which
polyclonally activate a large fraction of the T
cells (up to 25%). These antigens are called
superantigens
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Conventional Antigen Superantigen
Antigen presenting cell

CHO α2 β2 CHO α2 β2
MHC Class II
CHO α1 β1 CHO CHO α1 β1 CHO
Super
Antigen
antigen
CHO CHO CHO CHO
αV βV αV βV
T cell receptor
CHO CHO CHO CHO
αC βC αC βC

T lymphocyte 22
Figure: Mechanisms of action of superantigens

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 Superantigens

• Examples
– Staphylococcal enterotoxins
– Staphylococcal toxic shock toxin
– Staphylococcal exfoliating toxin
– Streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxins

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Thank-You

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