Rebecca Martin/Sandbox1

From Proteopedia

Introduction to IgA

Template:STRUCTURE 1iga The most extensive surface in contact with the external environment is not our skin, but the epithelial lining of our gastrointestinal, respiratory, and urogenital tracts ^[1]. As a first line of defense in maintainance the integrity our mucosa, the immune system manufatures and secretes dimeric IgA to neutralize pathogenic organisms ^[2] and exclude the entry of commensals at the mucosal border ^[3]. In the serum, IgA functions as a second line of defense against pathogens that may breech the epithelial boundary ^[2]. Exploring IgA's structure and protein interactions illuminates the unique and critical function IgA plays in humoral immunity. Unlike other antibody isotypes, IgA exists in mutiple oligomeric states, the a monomeric, a dimeric, and secretory forms being most common ^[4]