Anti-GM1 antibodies as a model of the immune response to self-glycans

NORES, GUSTAVO A; LARDONE, RICARDO D; COMIN, ROMINA; ALANIZ, MARIA E; MOYANO, ANA LIS; IRAZOQUI, FERNANDO J

Elsevier Pub. Co.

Lugar: Netherlands; Año: 2008 vol. 1780 p. 538 - 538

p class="abstract">Glycans are a class of molecules with high structural variability, frequently found in the plasma membrane facing the extracellular space. Because of these characteristics, glycans are often considered as recognition molecules involved in cell social functions, and as targets of pathogenic factors. Induction of anti-glycan antibodies is one of the early events in immunological defense against bacteria that colonize the body. Because of this natural infection, antibodies recognizing a variety of bacterial glycans are found in sera of adult humans and animals. The immune response to glycans is restricted by self-tolerance, and no antibodies to self-glycans should exist in normal subjects. However, antibodies recognizing structures closely related to self-glycans do exist, and can lead to production of harmful anti-self antibodies. Normal human sera contain low-affinity anti-GM1 IgM-antibodies. Similar antibodies with higher affinity or different isotype are found in s