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Conserved
A term used to describe:
- A. the number of genes that are present within the DNA of more than one species. For example, approximately 25% of the genes found within the human genome (DNA) are also found within the DNA of plants.
- B. a particular domain (region) of a molecule on the surface of a rapidly mutating microorganism (e.g., the influenza virus, the AIDS virus) that remains the same in all, or most, variations of that microorganism. If that conserved region is suitable to act as an antigen (hapten, epitope), it may be possible to create a successful vaccine against that microorganism; that would otherwise be unsuccessful due to the fact that the rapid mutation would cause it (e.g., the AIDS virus) to appear to
be "different" than the one (antigen) the vaccine was
designed against.
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