Pathway: Cross-presentation of particulate exogenous antigens (phagosomes)
Reactions in pathway: Cross-presentation of particulate exogenous antigens (phagosomes) :
Cross-presentation of particulate exogenous antigens (phagosomes)
Dendritic cells (DCs) take up and process exogenous particulate or cell-associated antigens such as microbes or tumor cells for MHC-I cross-presentation. Particulate antigens have been reported to be more efficiently cross-presented than soluble antigens by DCs (Khor et al. 2008). Particulate antigens are internalized by phagosomes. There are two established models that explain the mechanism by which exogenous particulate antigens are presented through MHC I; the cytosolic pathway where internalized antigens are somehow translocated from phagosomes into cytosol for proteasomal degradation and the vacuolar pathway (Lin et al. 2008, Amigorena et al. 2010).
Adaptive immunity refers to antigen-specific immune response efficiently involved in clearing the pathogens. The adaptive immune system is comprised of B and T lymphocytes that express receptors with remarkable diversity tailored to recognize aspects of particular pathogens or antigens. During infection, dendritic cells (DC) which act as sentinels in the peripheral tissues recognize and pick up the pathogen in the form of antigenic determinants and then process these antigens and present them to T cells. These T cells of appropriate specificity respond to the antigen, and either kill the pathogen directly or secrete cytokines that will stimulate B lymphocyte response. B cells provide humoral immunity by secreting antibodies specific for the pathogen or antigen.
Humans are exposed to millions of potential pathogens daily, through contact, ingestion, and inhalation. Our ability to avoid infection depends on the adaptive immune system and during the first critical hours and days of exposure to a new pathogen, our innate immune system.