The second life of antibodies

• Published in: Biochemistry (Moscow) Vol. 79; no. 1; pp. 1 - 7
• Main Author: Navolotskaya, E. V.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer US 2014; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Antibodies; Antigen-Antibody Complex - chemistry; Antigen-Antibody Complex - metabolism; beta-Endorphin - chemistry; beta-Endorphin - metabolism; Biochemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Bioorganic Chemistry; Humans; Immune system; Immunoglobulin Constant Regions - chemistry; Immunoglobulin Constant Regions - metabolism; Immunoglobulin G; Immunoglobulin G - chemistry; Immunoglobulin G - metabolism; Immunoglobulin gamma-Chains - chemistry; Immunoglobulin gamma-Chains - metabolism; Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains - chemistry; Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains - metabolism; Immunoglobulins; Life Sciences; Microbiology; Oligopeptides - chemistry; Oligopeptides - metabolism; Peptide Fragments - chemistry; Peptide Fragments - metabolism; Peptides; Physiological aspects; Review; Signal Transduction; Tuftsin - chemistry; Tuftsin - metabolism; Viral antibodies; Russia; immune system; peptides; antibodies; receptors
• ISSN: 0006-2979; 1608-3040
• DOI: 10.1134/S0006297914010015

Antibodies (immunoglobulins, Ig) are used by the immune system to identify and neutralize foreign objects and are responsible for antigen-binding and effector functions. Immunoglobulin G (IgG) is the major serum immunoglobulin of a healthy human (∼75% of the total Ig fraction). The discovery in 1970 of the endogenous tetrapeptide tuftsin (Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg, fragment 289–292 of the C H2 -domain of the heavy (H) chain of IgG), possessing both immunostimulatory and neurotrophic activities, was an impetus for the search for new biologically active peptides of immunoglobulin origin. As a result, fragments of the H-chain of IgG produced as a result of enzymatic cleavage of IgG within the antigen-antibody complex were discovered, synthesized, and studied. These fragments include rigin (341–344), immunorphin (364–373), immunocortin (11–20), and peptide p24 (335–358) and its fragments. In this review the properties of these peptides and their role in regulating the immune response are analyzed.