VL/VH Dimer Interface
- Given the combinatorial nature of antibody generation, the dimer interface residues have to be such that any VL domain can pair with any VH domain to form a functional interface. This places a heavy constraint on the conservation of the interface residues.
VL Dimer Contacts
![](vl_all_dimer_2.jpg)
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VH Dimer Contacts
![](vh_all_dimer_2.jpg)
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![](vl_all_dimer_1a.jpg) |
![](vh_all_dimer_1a.jpg) |
- At the same time, there is considerable overlap between the antigen interface and the dimer interface, particularely for hapten-binding antibodies, where the antigen frequently inserts into a deep binding pocket in the center of the barrel formed by the inner beta sheets of the two domains.
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Dimer contact residues in individual domains are listed in the following pages:
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