Introduction: Antibody labeling is a valuable and versatile technique used in medicine and research. To put it simply, an antibody is a type of protein that an animal makes in response to a foreign antigen. This may be a bacterium, a virus or other substance present in the blood that is recognized as non-self.
There is not a single process in the mammalian body that can occur without the cooperation of one or more proteins. These are huge molecules, also known as macromolecules, that are made from smaller chemical units known as amino acids. The order in which the individual amino acids are strung together dictates the 3D shape of the finished protein. It is the specific shape of a protein that determines its function in the organism.
Enzymes are necessary to catalyze, or speed up, the millions of reactions that take place in our cells every second of every minute of every hour of every day of our lives. In fact, when we eat protein, there are enzymes that help to break down each molecule of protein into its own amino acids. These amino acids are then used to make new proteins. Immunoglobulins are a different type of protein.
Laboratory Synthesis of Antibodies: In the human body, specific cells of the immune system called "B" cells are able to detect the presence of foreign bodies and produce Igs against the foreign antigens. The process of immunization against disease is built upon this principle. A minute amount of a virus, say the flu virus, is inactivated and then injected in order to stimulate our bodies to synthesize the right antibodies against it.
There is just enough antigen present to stimulate Ig production but not enough to induce illness. If the same antigen is encountered subsequently, in other words, if the person becomes infected with virus, the B cells will be stimulated to produce loads of antibodies to quell the infection.
Production of antibodies in the lab begins by injecting a laboratory animal, most often a rabbit but occasionally a mouse, donkey or other animal. The B cells of the injected animal recognize the antigen as foreign and make Igs accordingly. Eventually, blood is drawn from the animal and the antibody is harvested. At this stage, the Ig is known as a primary antibody. It may then be conjugated to a molecule that emits radiation, either chemical or radiological, to make it possible to see the antibodies under a microscope.
More often, the primary Ig is attached to a second antibody that has been raised in a different animal, and then attached to the molecular probe, for example a fluorescent marker. When the whole three-piece molecular system is exposed to ultraviolet light, it emits fluorescence that is detected as a brilliant flash of color. Antibodies may be raised to different antigens and different colored fluorescent markers to confirm the identity of the cells to which it is later applied.
Antibody labeling is a frequently used tool in the research of neuro-oncology, or brain tumors. Cells are grown on microscope slides in a special culture medium, to which different substances, such as growth factors, may be added. The cells are then labeled with the fluorescent preparations and a snapshot is viewed of specific proteins present in the cell.
There is not a single process in the mammalian body that can occur without the cooperation of one or more proteins. These are huge molecules, also known as macromolecules, that are made from smaller chemical units known as amino acids. The order in which the individual amino acids are strung together dictates the 3D shape of the finished protein. It is the specific shape of a protein that determines its function in the organism.
Enzymes are necessary to catalyze, or speed up, the millions of reactions that take place in our cells every second of every minute of every hour of every day of our lives. In fact, when we eat protein, there are enzymes that help to break down each molecule of protein into its own amino acids. These amino acids are then used to make new proteins. Immunoglobulins are a different type of protein.
Laboratory Synthesis of Antibodies: In the human body, specific cells of the immune system called "B" cells are able to detect the presence of foreign bodies and produce Igs against the foreign antigens. The process of immunization against disease is built upon this principle. A minute amount of a virus, say the flu virus, is inactivated and then injected in order to stimulate our bodies to synthesize the right antibodies against it.
There is just enough antigen present to stimulate Ig production but not enough to induce illness. If the same antigen is encountered subsequently, in other words, if the person becomes infected with virus, the B cells will be stimulated to produce loads of antibodies to quell the infection.
Production of antibodies in the lab begins by injecting a laboratory animal, most often a rabbit but occasionally a mouse, donkey or other animal. The B cells of the injected animal recognize the antigen as foreign and make Igs accordingly. Eventually, blood is drawn from the animal and the antibody is harvested. At this stage, the Ig is known as a primary antibody. It may then be conjugated to a molecule that emits radiation, either chemical or radiological, to make it possible to see the antibodies under a microscope.
More often, the primary Ig is attached to a second antibody that has been raised in a different animal, and then attached to the molecular probe, for example a fluorescent marker. When the whole three-piece molecular system is exposed to ultraviolet light, it emits fluorescence that is detected as a brilliant flash of color. Antibodies may be raised to different antigens and different colored fluorescent markers to confirm the identity of the cells to which it is later applied.
Antibody labeling is a frequently used tool in the research of neuro-oncology, or brain tumors. Cells are grown on microscope slides in a special culture medium, to which different substances, such as growth factors, may be added. The cells are then labeled with the fluorescent preparations and a snapshot is viewed of specific proteins present in the cell.
About the Author:
You can visit the website www.columbiabiosciences.com for more helpful information about Research Applications For Antibody Labeling
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire