paratope

(noun)

That part of the molecule of an antibody that binds to an antigen

Related Terms

  • memory cell

Examples of paratope in the following topics:

  • Making Memory B Cells

    • Each time these cells are induced to proliferate due to an infection, the genetic region coding for the paratope undergoes spontaneous mutations with a frequency of about 1 in every 1600 cell divisions.
    • Some of the resulting paratopes (and the cells elaborating them) have a better affinity for the antigen (actually, the epitope) and are more likely to proliferate than the others.
    • The fact that all the cells of a single clone elaborate one (and only one) paratope, and that the memory cells survive for long periods, is what imparts a memory to the immune response.
    • The paratope is the part of an antibody which recognizes an antigen, the antigen-binding site of an antibody.
    • The part of the antigen to which the paratope binds is called an epitope.
  • Antibody Proteins and Antigen Binding

    • Each tip of the "Y" of an antibody contains a paratope (a structure analogous to a lock) that is specific for one particular epitope (similarly analogous to a key) on an antigen, allowing these two structures to bind together with precision.
    • The large and diverse population of antibodies is generated by random combinations of a set of gene segments that encode different or paratopes, followed by random mutations in this area of the antibody gene, which create further diversity.
    • The paratope is shaped at the amino terminal end of the antibody monomer by the variable domains from the heavy and light chains.
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