Immunology Abbreviations

the title says it lol, gonna add cards as the list expands, gotta keep up with these

RBC

Red Blood Cell/ Erythrocytes

AIDS

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

Ab

Antibodies

Ag

Antigens

Ig

Immunoglobulin

RER

Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum

APC

Antigen Presenting Cell (like DC and sometimes Macrophages)

pAPC

Professional Antigen Presenting Cells (DC and MΦ)

M1 Monocytes

Inflammatory Monocytes

M2 Monocytes

Patrolling Monocytes

MΦ

Macrophage (mature); remember they are the mature versions of monocytes and come in the two flavors M1 and M2

DC

Dendritic Cells (pAPC)

FDC

Follicular Dendritic Cells (Ag Hoarders, not presenters to T cells, they save them for B cells instead)

CD

Cluster of Differentiation (in reference to surface proteins that DO NOT differ between individuals, so not including Ig, T-Cell receptors, or M+IC proteins or whatever)

CD220

Insulin Receptor surface protein

CD71

Transferrin Receptor

NK1.1

Natural Killer Cell’s (large granular fella, type of Innate Lymphoid Cell) surface protein

TCR

T Cell Receptor; dimer on T cells that binds to Ag peptides and activates the T cell, composed of two chains with Ig-like domains, but are too short in the cytosol to actually perform intracellular signaling, they have have a little help from CD3 as their accessory protein to do the signaling for them.

TH

Helper T Cell

CD4

Helper T Cell Surface Protein

CD8

Killer/ Cytotoxic T Cell Surface Protein; has alpha and beta components with Ig-like domain that binds to MHC presenting Ag peptide

CTLs

erm, it atchully 🤓 stands for Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes (Killer T Cells)

BCR

B Cell Receptor (B cell surface protein)

Hematopoiesis

Idk but this word is new and just refers to the process of development and production of blood leukocytes (white blood cells)

HSC

Hematopoietic Stem Cell

LN

Lymph Node

HEV

High Endothelial Venules (the fancy endothelial cell lined passageways with slower bloodflow and cuboidal cells)

FRCC

Fibroblast Reticular Cell Conduit (System); [Lymph Node] allows T cells and DC to mingle in paracortex, and B cells, FDC, and TH to mingle in the paracortex and follicles | stromal cells release specific chemokines that attracts T and B and DC and such to the LN; [Spleen] kind of the same thing, present in white pulp (present in PALS, Follicle/ Germinal Center, and in Marginal Zone; each type releases specific chemokines for its respective cell it wants to attract towards it to let the lymphocytes and presenting/ holding cells mingle on.

PALS

Periarteriolar Lymphoid Sheath; around the central arteriole in the spleen, is the T cell zone of the spleen (with T cells and DC and some macrophage mingling)

MALT

Mucosa Associated Lymphoid Tissues; moist surfaces of the body, like 400m² worth of area and involves (respiratory tract, nasal rea, lungs, GI, urinary, genital tracts, eustachian tubes of the inner ear, nose, eyes, lacrimal glands).

BALT

Bronchus Associated Lymphoid Tissues; lung tissue

NALT

Associated Lymphoid Tissues; nose, sinuses, etc…

GALT

Gut Associated Lymphoid Tissues; tonsils, adenoids (in throat), appendix (junction of small and large intestine), and Peyer’s Patches (lymphoid nodules along small intestine where B and T lymphocytes can be stimulated by Ag in there).

L Chains/ CL

Light chains of an Ab

H Chains/ CH

Heavy chains of an Ab

aas

(personal one, use for “amino acid sequence”)

IgG

Immunoglobulin gamma; 73%, most common, *Goopy* and found in blood, interstitial fluid, and lymph, can hinge, monomeric, has 3 Heavy Chain constant regions, main job is to protect the internal body.

IgA

Immunoglobulin alpha; 10-18%, alpha, ones that are secreted (milk, saliva, tears, sweat, GI, etc), is a dimer and held together by a J chain protein, 3 Constant Heavy Domains; main job is to protect the mucosal surfaces.

IgM

Immunoglobulin mu; 5-10%, first ones released by freshly activated B cells and can be monomeric and pentameric, low affinity, high avidity b/c they have 10 binding sites, held together with J chain protein, has FOUR heavy chain constant regions, non rigid, main job is to be produced during the initial immune response in its pentameric form and by B cells in the medulla of the LNs.

IgD

Immunoglobulin delta; 0.16%, exclusively monomeric, can hinge, only found as a B cell receptor on naive B cells (who also have IgD and IgM, 3 heavy chain constant regions, literal job is destined to get swapped out once naive B cells are activated for other Igs like G or A.

IgE

Immunoglobulin epsilon; the super rare ones at 0.0016%, super high affinity, binds to receptors on Mast Cells and Basophils really well, gives Mast cells the ability to identify Ags (because they don’t have that ability on their own), has 4 heavy chain constant regions, main job is to help with parasite and worm immunity and the allergic response and histamine things (also mast cells can have many receptors for different Ags).

CDR

Complementarity Determining Regions; there are three of them and are the actual amino acids on Igs that antigens bind to.

V_L

Variable region on light chain

V_H

Variable region on heavy chain

C_L

Constant region on light chain

C_H

Constant region on heavy chain

mAbs

Monoclonal Antibodies

MHC

Major Histocompatibility Complex (protein) that Antigen Presenting cells use to present parts of antigens (Ag peptides) to T Cells; comes in two flavors, Class I (CTLs have CD8 that binds to MHC Class I for recognizing internal antigens to kill the cell), while Class II (TH have CD4 that binds to MHC Class II and recognizes the external antigens).

CDR

Complementary Determining Region; found on the variable domains of Ab and Ig and there are three of them per domain

Igα/β

The heterodimer accessory protein with longer cytosolic tails that BCR works with in order to actually be able to perform intracellular signaling (b/c BCR cytosolic tail segment is too smol)

CD3

Accessory protein that TCR uses in order to actually do the intracellular signaling; 4 polypeptides total that form three dimers; CD3ye (gamma-epsilon), CD3ed (epsilon-delta), and CD3zz (zeta-zeta).

γδ TCR

Most TCR are alpha beta, but some are gamma delta and are usually rare and found in the epithelial tissues. They do not recognize Ag and MHC like their alpha beta cousins, but are specialized to identify specific bacterial compounds.

ITAM

Immunoreceptor Tyrosine Activation Motif; the tyrosine amino acid regions on the cytosolic tails on the individual CD3-composition variants that actually start the signaling cascade when they are phosphorylated. Phospho-tyrosines can create binding sites for signaling proteins/ enzymes. *Ig-alpha and Ig-beta on the BCR accessory proteins also have ITAMs.

IL-#

Interleukins; a type of cytokine that is produced by leukocytes that affect growth and differentiation of other immune and hematopoietic cells.

IL-1 Family

Interleukin-1 Family; early immune response secretions and produced by monocytes, macrophages, DC, etc…; pro-inflammatory, IL-1alpha and IL-1beta, IL-18, and IL-33

IL-1alpha and IL-1beta

Type of cytokine in the IL-1 Family, induces capillary permeability (like histamine does); enters blood (travel to liver and induce production of acute phase proteins that act as antimicrobial, or travels to brain hypothalamus to induce fever response).

IL-2 Receptor Subfamily

In Family of Hematopoietins (Class I Cytokine Family); induces growth factors, interleukins, and hematopoietin; all share the IL-2R gamma chain

IL-2R

Interleukin-2 Receptor; has alpha (alone doesn’t do anything really and is rare to be alone), beta (will pair up with gamma and have a moderate IL-2 binding ability and weak intracellular signal), and gamma subtypes. When IL-2R is a trimer of alpha, beta, and gamma pieces, it has a strong IL-2 binding ability and strong intracellular signaling and is found on activated B and T cells.

CD25

Another way of saying IL-2Rα; gene to express this protein only when Ag activated, otherwise resting B and T cells will only have beta and gamma variants of IL-2R.

IFN

Interferon; type of cytokine that comes in two flavors (Type I include IFNalpha and beta) and induces the anti-viral state). IFN-gamma is Type II and is a major pro-inflammatory cytokine, activates macrophages, and can turn the immune response into a cell-mediated one (like from B cell’s Ab to more phagocytosis).

IL-10

Interleukin-10, anti-inflammatory

TNF

Tumor Necrosis Family/ Factor; (alpha and beta varieties and does ultra pro-inflammatory, the trimerization of the receptors one)

CD40

Ligand surface receptor that is involved in B cell differentiation

CD95

CTL cell receptor that the Fas ligand can bind to (type of TNF) that induces apoptosis

IL-17 Family

Produced by activated T cells + others and activates neutrophils for a neutrophil-mediated response, keratinocytes, and other non-lymphoid cells (is generall pro-inflammatory); comes in A, B, C, D, and E flavors

CXC

Cysteine-other amino acid(s) - cysteine; type of chemokine that attracts neutrophils (many bind to the CXCR2 Receptor (there is also CXCL8, or IL-8)

CC

Cysteine-Cysteine; type of chemokine that attracts monocytes, macrophages, and DC (the myeloid progenitors)

Lysozyme

Excreted by lysosomes as an antimicrobial protein that cleaves bacterial cell walls, and is also found in tears, saliva, and other secretions (a process that can disrupt the osmoregulation and physical integrity of bacterial cell walls).

PAMPs

Pathogen Associated Molecular Patterns

LPS

Lipopolysaccharides; proteins found on outside plasma membrane of gram negative bacteria

PRR

Pattern Recognition Receptors; found on phagocytotic cells and is where PAMPs (found on bacteria) are bound to and can activate the phagocyte (secrete chemokines, activate phagocytosis, induce APC function for pAPC)

TLR

Toll-Like Receptors; receptors that are a part of the PRR and each type can recognize different PAMPs (there’s TLR1-10 in humans :DDDD)

TLR1 and TLR2

PRR: Toll-Like Receptors that recognize PAMPs on gram - bacteria (like mycobacteria)

TLR5

PRR: Toll-Like Receptor that recognizes bacterial flagellum (flagellin protein)

TLR3

PRR: that is INSIDE of phagocytic cell lysosomes and endosomes that binds to double-stranded viral DNA and will activate the cell (like macrophage); and will instigate the cell to start to produce cytokines like IFN alpha or beta (things that initiate the anti-viral state)

TLR4

PCC: Toll-Like Receptor that recognizes gram-negative lipopolysaccharide

NF-kappa-B

one of the pro-inflammatory transcription factors that can lead to gene expression of IL-6, IL-1, and TNF (for inflammation stuff); it gets released due to cellular signaling from TCR binding

DAMPs

Damage Associated Molecular Patterns; on self cells that are always on the inner side of the membrane of apoptotic bodies, but when damaged or dying, these phosphatidyl serine will flip to the outside and phagocytosis cells will recognize this “EAT ME” pattern

MBL

Mannose Binding Lectin; a type of opsonin (that’s a protein that allows for indirect, but enhanced binding of the PRR of a phagocyte to a microbe with the opsonin attached to its PAMP); MLB specifically binds to oligosaccharides of mannose present on bacteria that the CD91 (mannose receptor) of phagocytes will recognize and bind to.

CRP

C-Reactive Protein; type of opsonin that binds to the carbohydrates on microbes, and to the Fc receptor (the bottom of the “Y” of an Ab) on a phagocyte

ROS

RNS

Antimicrobial Factors

• C-Reactive Protein

• Mannose Binding Lectin

• Complement Proteins

• Antibodies (Ig)

GMCSF

Granulocyte-Monocyte Colony Stimulating Factor; “WE NEED BACK-UP”; travels to bone marrow and enhances hematopoiesis

CAMs

Cell Adhesion Molecules

• selectins (cell surface lectins found on activated endothelial cells)

• Mucin-like CAMs (found on neutrophils; binds to above)

• Integrins (alpha and beta chain; can be activated or inactivated via macrophage or even activated endothelial cell chemokines), found on neutrophils in the form of alpha-L-beta-2, LFA-1)

• Ig Superfamily CAMs (found on act. endo.

Diapedesis

cells (neutrophil) moving between cells into tissue

TGF-beta

Transforming Growth Factor Beta

• major function: potent anti-inflammatory produced by macrophages, DC, etc…); enhances wound healing

• minor function: induces fibroblast proliferating

TNFmAb

C3

Complement Component 3

C3a

C3b

Bigger guy that gets cleaved from C3 (does so spontaneously) and attaches to literally everything;

C3 Convertase

Enzyme that cleaves C3, convert(tasing) it into C3b and C3a.

Two flavors

• C3bBb (from Alternative Complementary Pathway using Factor B and D and stabilized by Properdin)

• C4b2a (from the Classical Complementary Pathway using the Complement Component 1, the weird octopus shaped guy [refer to next flashcard])

C1

Complement Component 1; involved in the Classical Complement Pathway; shaped like an octopus (C1q part) with a belt (typically inactive C1r2s2))

• To function, it needs at least two Ab to bind to the Fc region of (which should already be attached to a microbe surface).