Antigenic Variation At Biology Glossary
What is it? A change in the types or amounts of a molecule on the cell surface of a pathogen that alters recognition by the host immune system. Antigenic variation can occur by altering a variety of surface molecules including proteins and carbohydrates. There are many molecular mechanisms for antigenic variation, including inversion, recombination between multiple casettes, and hypermutation. Antigenic variation occurs in eukaryotic microbes (e.g. Trypanosomes), bacteria (e.g. Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Salmonella enterica), and viruses. The change in surface antigens due to mutation, recombination, or chromosome reassortment in viruses is called antigenic drift.Bio Definition Added By: Kaylee
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