epitope

ep·i·tope

E0184550 (ĕp′ĭ-tōp′)n. A small molecular region of an antigen that binds to a particular antibody or antigen receptor on a T cell; an antigenic determinant. A single antigen can have multiple epitopes.

[epi- + Greek topos, place, spot.]

epitope

(ˈɛpɪˌtəʊp) n (Medicine) the site on an antigen at which a specific antibody becomes attached

ep•i•tope

(ˈɛp ɪˌtoʊp)

n. a site on an antigen at which an antibody can bind, the molecular arrangement of the site determining the specific combining antibody. Also called antigenic determinant . [1970–75; epi- + -tope < Greek tópos place; compare topo-]

Thesaurus

Noun

epitope - the site on the surface of an antigen molecule to which an antibody attaches itselfantigenic determinant, determinantimmunology - the branch of medical science that studies the body's immune systemsite, situation - physical position in relation to the surroundings; "the sites are determined by highly specific sequences of nucleotides"antigen - any substance (as a toxin or enzyme) that stimulates an immune response in the body (especially the production of antibodies)

Translations

epitope

epitope:

see immunityimmunity,
ability of an organism to resist disease by identifying and destroying foreign substances or organisms. Although all animals have some immune capabilities, little is known about nonmammalian immunity.
..... Click the link for more information. .

epitope

[′ep·ə‚tōp] (immunology) The portion of the antigen molecule that determines its capacity to combine with the specific combining site of its corresponding antibody in an antigen-antibody interaction.

epitope

determinant

[de-ter´mĭ-nant] a factor that establishes the nature of an entity or event.antigenic determinant a site on the surface of an antigen molecule to which a single antibody molecule binds; generally an antigen has several or many different antigenic determinants and reacts with many different antibodies. Called also epitope.

Antigens contain antigenic determinants (epitopes) and antibodies contain antibody combining sites (paratopes). From Copstead and Banasik, 2000.hidden determinant an antigenic determinant located in an unexposed region of a molecule so that it is prevented from interacting with receptors on lymphocytes, or with antibody molecules, and is unable to induce an immune response; it may appear following stereochemical alterations of molecular structure.immunogenic determinant the part of an immunogenic molecule that interacts with a helper T cell in triggering antibody production as opposed to the antigenic determinant or hapten, which interacts with B cells.

ep·i·tope

(ep'i-tōp), The simplest form of an antigenic determinant on a complex antigenic molecule, which can combine with antibody or T cell receptor. [epi- + -tope]

epitope

(ĕp′ĭ-tōp′)n. A localized region on the surface of an antigen capable of eliciting an immune response and of combining with a specific antibody to counter that response.

epitope

Any site on a biomolecule (antigenic determinant) which can evoke antibody formation. The minimum size of a molecule capable of evoking antibody formation is about 1 kD; if the molecule is smaller, as with haptens, it may evoke an immune response by associating with a carrier protein. Large non-polymeric molecules can have many epitopes. When the van der Waals surfaces of proteins are constructed by X-ray crystallography, epitopic sites appear to require prominently exposed regions—“hills” and “ridges” with surface rigidity. More flexible sites are less antigenic.

epitope

Immunology Any site on a molecule–an antigenic determinant that can evoke antibody formation. See Idiotype, Immunogenicity.

ep·i·tope

(ep'i-tōp) The simplest form of an antigenic determinant, on a complex antigenic molecule, that can combine with antibody or T-cell receptor.

epitope

An immunologically active discrete site on an ANTIGEN to which an ANTIBODY or a B or T cell receptor actually binds. See also LINEAR EPITOPE and CONFORMATIONAL EPITOPE.

epitope

an antigenic determinant which interacts with an IMMUNOGLOBULIN or T-CELL receptor.

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Synonyms for epitope

noun the site on the surface of an antigen molecule to which an antibody attaches itself

Synonyms

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