Using Cryo-EM to investigate the assembly, structures and functions of polymeric antibodies

Immunoglobulin (Ig) heavy chain classes, including IgA and IgM in mammals, birds and reptiles, and IgM and IgT in teleost fish, can be assembled into polymeric antibodies of varying composition, size and shape. While it has long been clear that polymeric antibodies play crucial roles in vertebrate immunity, especially in mucosal secretions where they mediate host interactions with commensal and pathogenic antigens, their assembly mechanisms, molecular structures and effector mechanisms remained poorly understood through decades of research. In this presentation Professor Beth Stadtmueller and graduate student Qianqiao (Heather) Liu will share recent work from the Stadtmueller Lab, highlighting how cryo-EM has uncovered the structures of polymeric antibodies and their many functions.