polymorphic

(adjective)

relating to polymorphism (any sense), able to have several shapes or forms

Related Terms

Examples of polymorphic in the following topics:

  • MHC Polymorphism and Antigen Binding

    • The MHC genes are highly polymorphic; this means that there are many different alleles in the different individuals inside a population.
    • The polymorphism is so high that in a mixed population (non-endogamic) there are not two individuals with exactly the same set of MHC genes and molecules, with the exception of identical twins.
    • The polymorphic regions in each allele are located in the region for peptide contact, which is going to be displayed to the lymphocyte.
    • For this reason, the contact region for each allele of MHC molecule is highly variable, as the polymorphic residues of the MHC will create specific clefts in which only certain types of residues of the peptide can enter.
    • The variations in the MHC molecules (responsible for the polymorphism) are the result of the inheritance of different MHC molecules, and they are not induced by recombination, as it is the case for the antigen receptors.

  • T Cell Receptors

    • T lymphocytes have a dual specificity: they recognize polymorphic residues of self major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules, which accounts for their MHC restriction; they also recognize residues of peptide antigens displayed by these MHC molecules, which is responsible for their specificity.

  • Caulobacter Differentiation

    • The genetic basis of the phenotypic differences between the two strains results from coding, regulatory, and insertion/deletion polymorphisms at five chromosomal loci.

  • Cytotoxic Autoimmune Reactions

    • Correlations may exist between polymorphisms within class II MHC promoters and autoimmune disease.

  • The Roles of Genetics and Gender in Autoimmune Disease

    • Correlations may exist between polymorphisms within class II MHC promoters and autoimmune disease.

  • Multiplex and Real-Time PCR

    • Since its first description in 1988 by Chamberlain et al, this method has been applied in many areas of DNA testing, including analyses of deletions, mutations, and polymorphisms, or quantitative assays and reverse transcription PCR.