paratope

Examples of paratope in the following topics:

• Antigenic Determinants and Processing Pathways

  • In antibodies, the binding site for an epitope is called a paratope.
  • The epitopes of protein antigens are divided into two categories based on their structures and interaction with the paratope.
  • These epitopes interact with the paratope based on the 3-D surface features and tertiary structure (overall shape) of the antigen.
  • Linear epitopes interact with the paratope based on their primary structure (shape of the protein's components).

• Structure and Function of Antibodies

  • 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 paratope is considered a hypervariable region and has the same specificity and antigen-binding affinity as the B cell receptor of the B cell that created the antibody.
  • Additionally, because antibodies have two or more paratopes, they can sometimes link pathogens together, making phagocytosis more efficient.