5acm
Mcg immunoglobulin variable domain with methylene blueMcg immunoglobulin variable domain with methylene blue
Structural highlights
FunctionLV208_HUMAN V region of the variable domain of immunoglobulin light chains that participates in the antigen recognition (PubMed:24600447). Immunoglobulins, also known as antibodies, are membrane-bound or secreted glycoproteins produced by B lymphocytes. In the recognition phase of humoral immunity, the membrane-bound immunoglobulins serve as receptors which, upon binding of a specific antigen, trigger the clonal expansion and differentiation of B lymphocytes into immunoglobulins-secreting plasma cells. Secreted immunoglobulins mediate the effector phase of humoral immunity, which results in the elimination of bound antigens (PubMed:20176268, PubMed:22158414). The antigen binding site is formed by the variable domain of one heavy chain, together with that of its associated light chain. Thus, each immunoglobulin has two antigen binding sites with remarkable affinity for a particular antigen. The variable domains are assembled by a process called V-(D)-J rearrangement and can then be subjected to somatic hypermutations which, after exposure to antigen and selection, allow affinity maturation for a particular antigen (PubMed:17576170, PubMed:20176268).[1] [2] [3] [4] Publication Abstract from PubMedOverproduction of immunoglobulin light chains leads to systemic amyloidosis, a lethal disease characterized by the formation of amyloid fibrils in patients' tissues. Excess light chains are in equilibrium between dimers and less stable monomers which can undergo irreversible aggregation to the amyloid state. The dimers therefore must disassociate into monomers prior to forming amyloid fibrils. Here we identify ligands that inhibit amyloid formation by stabilizing the Mcg light chain variable domain dimer and shifting the equilibrium away from the amyloid-prone monomer. Inhibition by small-molecule ligands of formation of amyloid fibrils of an immunoglobulin light chain variable domain.,Brumshtein B, Esswein SR, Salwinski L, Phillips ML, Ly AT, Cascio D, Sawaya MR, Eisenberg DS Elife. 2015 Nov 18;4. pii: e10935. doi: 10.7554/eLife.10935. PMID:26576950[5] From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. References
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