Would a denatured antigen be expected to have the same epitopes as its native (non-denatured) counterpart? Why?
A) Yes; epitopes are just a sequence of amino acids in a row, so they do not change regardless of 3D shape of the protein molecule they lie within.
B) Yes; all proteins must be broken down into individual epitopes for presentation to B and T cells on MHC molecules, so each antigen protein MUST be denatured to yield ANY epitopes.
C) No; ALL epitopes are dependent on being in the proper original 3D conformation of the protein. Denaturing them would destroy them by destroying that conformation.
D) No; denaturing an antigen results in epitopes with a different amino acid sequence from those on an intact antigen, so they are not the same at all.
E) Yes AND No; SOME epitopes are dependent on 3D conformation (conformational epitopes), while some simply depend on the sequence of amino acids (linear epitopes). So, really, it depends on the particular epitope.

Question

Would a denatured antigen be expected to have the same epitopes as its native (non-denatured) counterpart? Why?
A) Yes; epitopes are just a sequence of amino acids in a row, so they do not change regardless of 3D shape of the protein molecule they lie within.
B) Yes; all proteins must be broken down into individual epitopes for presentation to B and T cells on MHC molecules, so each antigen protein MUST be denatured to yield ANY epitopes.
C) No; ALL epitopes are dependent on being in the proper original 3D conformation of the protein. Denaturing them would destroy them by destroying that conformation.
D) No; denaturing an antigen results in epitopes with a different amino acid sequence from those on an intact antigen, so they are not the same at all.  
E) Yes AND No; SOME epitopes are dependent on 3D conformation (conformational epitopes), while some simply depend on the sequence of amino acids (linear epitopes). So, really, it depends on the particular epitope.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Epitopes can be of two main types: conformational epitopes, which depend on the protein's 3D structure, and linear epitopes, which are determined by the sequence of amino acids. Denaturing a protein can affect conformational epitopes by altering the protein's structure, but linear epitopes, being sequence-dependent, remain unchanged. Therefore, whether denatured antigens have the same epitopes as their native counterparts depends on the type of epitopes they possess.

Would a Denatured Antigen Be Expected to Have the Same