 Conformational epitope

Conformational epitopes, also known as part of larger structural epitopes, are specific regions on the surface of proteins (or other macromolecules) that are recognized by antibodies and immune receptors. Unlike linear epitopes, which are composed of a contiguous sequence of amino acids, conformational epitopes are formed by the three-dimensional folding of a protein, meaning that they consist of amino acids that may be far apart in the linear sequence but are brought close together in the protein's final folded shape.