What does epitope mean?

i really need to know in term of immunology
1- what does epitope mean?
2- where it come from?
3- what its main function?
4- what is epitope spread?
5- what are different kinds of epitope spread?
6- what about the epitope spread in the CNS in multiple sclerosis?Please, i need to know what are these because i did alot of search and even though i found lots of information i didn't get the answers to these questions exactly. So plz help..
Answers:
An epitope is the part of a macromolecule that is recognized by the immune system, specifically by antibodies, B cells, or cytotoxic T cells. Although usually epitopes are thought to be derived from nonself proteins, sequences derived from the host that can be recognized are also classified as epitopes.Most epitopes can be thought of as three-dimensional surface features of an antigen molecule; these features fit precisely and thus bind to antibodies. The part of an antibody that recognizes the epitope is called a paratope. Exceptions are linear epitopes, which are determined by the amino acid sequence (the primary structure) rather than by the tertiary structure of a protein.Epitopes can be mapped using protein microarrays, and with the ELISPOT or ELISA techniques.Genetic sequences coding for epitopes that are recognised by common antibodies can be fused to genes, thus aiding further molecular characterization of the gene product. Common epitopes used for this purpose are c-myc, HA, FLAG, V5.Interestingly, epitopes are sometimes cross-reactive. This property is exploited by the immune system in regulation by Anti-idiotypic antibodies (originally proposed by Nobel laureate Niels Kaj Jerne). If an antibody binds to an antigen's epitope, the paratope could become the epitope for another antibody that will then bind to it. If this second antibody is of IgM class, its binding can upregulate the immune response; if the second antibody is of IgG class, its binding can downregulate the immune response.Intensive research is currently taking place to design reliable tools that will predict epitopes on proteins.

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wikipedia.com

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