Final answer:
Aromatic amino acids increase immunogenicity because they contain benzene rings that can provide distinctive epitopes for immune recognition, enhancing the complexity and diversity of the immune response. These amino acids are critical for the binding specificity of antibodies and T-cell receptors.
Step-by-step explanation:
The notion that aromatic amino acids increase immunogenicity is true. Aromatic amino acids such as phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan have benzene rings in their side chains which can bind to and be recognized by immune cells. These aromatic rings in proteins contribute to their structural complexity, and as a result, proteins with aromatic amino acids can be more immunogenic because they provide distinct epitopes that the immune system can recognize. This specificity is crucial for the functionality of antibodies and T-cell receptors that are part of the adaptive immune response. Since differences in amino acids lead to unique protein shapes and functions, and these differences can cause what are known as post-translational modifications, the presence of aromatic amino acids can enhance the diversity of the immune response.
Moreover, the human immune system is both effective and efficient due to this ability to generate a vast diversity of antibody molecules, far more than the number of genes in the human genome would suggest. This diversity is partly due to the various combinations and recombinations of amino acids, including aromatic ones, that form the antigen-binding sites of antibodies. So, the aromatic amino acids' unique structures contribute significantly to the efficacy of the immune response.