IGHE

Immunoglobulin heavy constant epsilon (IGHE) is a protein encoded by the IGHE gene and it is the constant region of immunoglobulin heavy chains. Immunoglobulins, also named antibodies, are glycoprotein molecules generated by plasma cells (white blood cells). They serve an important of the immune response via specifically recognizing and binding to particular antigens, for example, bacteria or viruses, and aiding in their destruction. The immune response of immunoglobulin is extremely complex and exceedingly specific. Due to the multiple classes and subclasses (isotypes) of immunoglobulin, they are quite different form each other, in their structure, biological features, target specificity, as well as distribution.
In general, secreted immunoglobulins regulate the effector phase of humoral immunity, which leads to the elimination of bound antigens. The antigen binding site is made up of the variable domain of one heavy chain, and its associated light chain. Therefore, each immunoglobulin contains two antigen binding sites with remarkable affinity for a particular antigen. The variable domains are produced via a process named V-(D)-J rearrangement and enable then be subjected to somatic hypermutations which, after exposure to antigen and selection, enable affinity maturation for a particular antigen.
Gene ID: 3497
UniProt ID: P01854