Polyklonala

Polyklonala, in reference to polyclonal antibodies, describes a heterogeneous mixture of immunoglobulin molecules produced by multiple B cell clones in response to an antigen. This contrasts with monoclonal antibodies, which originate from a single B cell clone. Polyclonal antibodies recognize multiple epitopes on an antigen, providing broad reactivity.

Polyclonal antibodies are typically generated by immunizing an animal (such as a rabbit, goat, or horse) with the target antigen and collecting the animal’s serum. The resulting preparation contains antibodies with various affinities and specificities. Purification often involves protein A or G capture and may include antigen-affinity chromatography to enrich for the relevant antibodies. Because they come from many B-cell lineages, polyclonal preparations can vary between production lots.

In use, polyclonal antibodies offer several advantages. They generally detect multiple epitopes, making them more tolerant to antigen variation and denaturation. They are also faster and cheaper to produce than monoclonal antibodies, making them common in research, diagnostics, and certain therapeutic contexts such as antivenoms and some immunoassays.

However, polyclonal antibodies have notable drawbacks. Batch-to-batch variability can affect assay performance and reproducibility. They may exhibit higher cross-reactivity, leading to non-specific binding and background signals. Stability and precise characterization can be more challenging than for monoclonal antibodies.

The term polyklonala is often used in non-English contexts to describe polyclonal antibodies. In scientific practice, the concept emphasizes a mixture of antibodies from multiple B-cell clones rather than a single clone, with implications for specificity, sensitivity, and application.