Biology 11th Edition by Cecie Starr ,Ralph Taggart

Exercise 16

The shapes of a proteins domains often give us clues to functions. For example, Figure 3.23 is a model for one of the HLAs, a type of recognition protein perched above the surface of all vertebrate body cells. Certain cells of the immune system use HLAs to distinguish self (the bodys own cells) from nonself. Each HLA has a jawlike region that can bind bits of an invader or some other threat. It thus alerts the immune defenders that the body has been invaded or otherwise threatened. Speculate on what may happen if a mutation makes the jawlike region misfold.