epitope

[ep-i-tohp]

noun

Immunology.

1. determinant.

epitope

/ ˈɛpɪˌtəʊp /

noun

1. the site on an antigen at which a specific antibody becomes attached

Word History and Origins

Origin of epitope¹

epi- + -tope, from Greek tópos “place”; topo-

Example Sentences

When a T cell recognizes a certain part of a pathogen's peptide sequence, scientists call that area an "epitope."

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While Fas plays an essential role in regulating immune cells, Tushir-Singh and his colleagues knew they might be able to target cancer cells selectively if they found the right epitope.

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The word "epitope" means the substance that the immune system recognizes and protects against.

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Others, such as epitope tagging, use antibodies to track marked proteins, revealing their location and abundance in cells and providing hints about their function.

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B cells respond most strongly when each arm attaches to a different epitope.

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