epitope

(noun)

that part of a biomolecule (such as a protein) that is the target of an immune response; the part of the antigen recognized by the immune system

Related Terms

Examples of epitope in the following topics:

  • Antibody Functions

    • Antibodies secreted after binding to one epitope on an antigen may exhibit cross reactivity for the same or similar epitopes on different antigens.
    • Because an epitope corresponds to such a small region (the surface area of about four to six amino acids), it is possible for different macromolecules to exhibit the same molecular identities and orientations over short regions.
    • (b) An antibody may cross-react with different epitopes.

  • Antibody Structure

    • The portion of an antigen that is recognized by the antibody is known as the epitope.
    • The variable domains from the heavy and light chains interact to form the binding site through which an antibody can bind a specific epitope on an antigen.