What is BALB mice?

BALB/c is an albino, laboratory-bred strain of the house mouse from which a number of common substrains are derived. Now over 200 generations from New York in 1920, BALB/c mice are distributed globally, and are among the most widely used inbred strains used in animal experimentation.

What are MHC antigens?

MHC is the tissue-antigen that allows the immune system (more specifically T cells) to bind to, recognize, and tolerate itself (autorecognition). MHC is also the chaperone for intracellular peptides that are complexed with MHCs and presented to T cell receptors (TCRs) as potential foreign antigens.

What is mouse haplotype?

Mouse MHC antigen is also called H-2 antigen. Its gene is located on mouse chromosome 17. They are involved in presentation of processed peptide antigens to CD4+ cells. MHC molecules are highly polymorphic. Laboratory mice are inbred so that each strain is homo- zygous and has a unique MHC haplotype.

What is MHC I and MHC II?

MHC I molecules are expressed on all nucleated cells and are essential for presentation of normal “self” antigens. MHC II molecules are expressed only on the surface of antigen-presenting cells (macrophages, dendritic cells, and B cells). Antigen presentation with MHC II is essential for the activation of T cells.

Do BALB c mice have an immune system?

The structural and functional parameters of the immune system in BALB/c and C57Bl/6 mice differ under physiological conditions. However, IL-12 production in BALB/c mice was lower than in C57Bl/6 mice. C57Bl/6 mice were characterized by higher cytostatic activity of splenic NK cells.

Are BALB c mice inbred?

BALB/c Mouse BALB/c mice are inbred strain and now over 230 generations from their origin in New York in 1920. BALB/c mice are distributed globally and among the five most widely used inbred strains in biomedical research, particularly in immunology and infectious disease research.

What are the 3 antigen-presenting cells?

The immune system contains three types of antigen-presenting cells, i.e., macrophages, dendritic cells, and B cells.

How do T cells recognize antigens?

How do T cells recognize antigens? Each T cell has a unique T cell receptor (TCR) that recognizes a specific antigen. TCRs recognize an antigen when they bind with major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules on the surface of other cells.

What does MHC haplotype mean?

The particular combination of MHC alleles found on a single chromosome is known as an MHC haplotype. Expression of MHC alleles is codominant, with the protein products of both the alleles at a locus being expressed in the cell, and both gene products being able to present antigens to T cells (Fig.

What is self MHC restriction?

Definition of self MHC restriction; MHC restriction is the requirement that APC or target cells express MHC molecules that the T cell recognizes as self in order for T cell to respond to the antigen presented by that APC or target cell. (T cells will only recognize antigens presented by their own MHC molecules.)

What are the three kinds of APCs?

The main types of professional APCs are dendritic cells (DC), macrophages, and B cells.

What is the function of MHC 1 and 2?

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and class II proteins play a pivotal role in the adaptive branch of the immune system. Both classes of proteins share the task of presenting peptides on the cell surface for recognition by T cells.