Читать книгу Immunology - Richard Coico - Страница 113

As noted earlier, substances called haptens fail to induce immune responses in their native form because of their low molecular weight and their chemical simplicity. These compounds are not immunogenic unless they are conjugated to high molecular weight, physicochemically complex carriers. Thus an immune response can be evoked to thousands of chemical compounds—those of high molecular weight and those of low molecular weight, provided the latter are conjugated to high molecular weight complex carriers.

Figure 5.1. Levels of protein organizational structure. The primary structure is indicated by the linear arrangement of amino acids (using a single‐letter code) and includes any intrachain disulfide bonds, as shown. The secondary structure derives from the folding of the polypeptide chain into α helices and β‐pleated sheets. The tertiary structure, shown as a ribbon diagram, is formed by the folding of regions between secondary features.

Source: Adapted with permission from Sun P, Boyington JC. Current Protocols in Protein Science. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.