Antigen Epitope
Antigen Epitope - Related Videos
10:48
SDS-PAGE/Immunoblot Detection of Aβ Multimers in Human Cortical Tissue Homogenates using Antigen-Epitope Retrieval
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Cited by 26 •
2010
We describe a technique for the preparation of clarified human cortical homogenates, protein separation by SDS-PAGE, antigen retrieval and immunoblotting with an antibody to the Aβ peptide. Using this protocol, we consistently detect monomeric and multimeric Aβ in cortical tissue from humans with Alzheimer's pathology.
13:58
Peptide:MHC Tetramer-based Enrichment of Epitope-specific T cells
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Cited by 28 •
2012
This protocol describes the use of peptide:MHC tetramers and magnetic microbeads to isolate low frequency populations of epitope-specific T cells and analyze them by flow cytometry. This method enables the direct study of endogenous T cell populations of interest from in vivo experimental systems.
05:04
Viral Antigen Microarray Assay to Detect Antibody Isotypes in Serum Against Viral Antigen
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2025
In this video, we demonstrate the process for detecting antibody isotypes in multiple human serum samples using a microarray slide printed with antigenic subtypes of influenza virus strains.
13:41
Use of Interferon-γ Enzyme-linked Immunospot Assay to Characterize Novel T-cell Epitopes of Human Papillomavirus
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Cited by 9 •
2012
Characterizing T-cell epitopes of pathogens that cause localized infections such as human papillomavirus is a challenge because of limited number of T cells in circulation. A method is described in which rare T cells were isolated and were characterized starting with a very small number of cells.
08:09
Peptide Scanning-assisted Identification of a Monoclonal Antibody-recognized Linear B-cell Epitope
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Cited by 15 •
2017
Here, the authors present a simple and efficient protocol to define a linear antigenic epitope using a purified monoclonal antibody and peptide scanning through dot-blot hybridization. The identified epitope can then be used in therapeutic and diagnostic applications.
FAQs
B-cell recognition depends on whether an epitope is accessible on the antigen surface and whether its shape and chemical features fit the binding site of an antibody or B-cell receptor. This means that changes affecting surface structure can alter recognition even when the antigen remains otherwise similar. Epitope analysis therefore examines both physical accessibility and molecular characteristics.
T-cell receptors typically recognize peptide fragments only after those fragments are displayed by major histocompatibility complex, or MHC, molecules on cell surfaces. The relevant immune signal therefore depends on both the peptide and its presentation context. This differs from B-cell recognition, which responds to accessible three-dimensional antigen features, and it shapes how T-cell responses are evaluated.
A mutation can modify the structure or chemical features that immune receptors recognize, potentially changing antibody or receptor binding. Such changes may alter immune protection when the modified region is an important target. Comparing epitope recognition across antigen variants can therefore reveal how sequence changes influence pathogen recognition, immune escape, or the persistence of antigen-specific responses.
Epitope mapping identifies the regions of an antigen targeted by antibodies, B-cell receptors, or T-cell receptors. It can show which sites dominate recognition and help distinguish responses directed toward different antigenic regions. This information supports interpretation of antigen-specific immune responses and provides a more precise view of how immune specificity is distributed across an antigen.
Vaccine research can use epitope information to identify antigenic regions associated with immune recognition and protection. Mapping helps determine which targets should be represented or emphasized when evaluating vaccine responses. It also provides a framework for examining whether mutations alter those targets, an important consideration when immune protection depends on recognition of particular antigen regions.
In diagnostic assays, defined epitopes help identify antibody targets and measure antigen-specific immune responses. In engineered immunotherapies, the same information can guide attention toward selected immune-recognized regions. Epitope characterization also helps explain unwanted cross-reactivity, including recognition shared between pathogen-related and self-associated targets, which is relevant to understanding autoimmune responses.