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Somatic Hypermutation of Immunoglobulin Genes is Linked to Transcription

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Somatic Diversification of Immune Responses

Part of the book series: Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology ((CT MICROBIOLOGY,volume 229))

Abstract

Immunoglobulin (Ig) genes are rearranged in pre-B cells. Pre-B cells that express Ig heavy (H) and light (L) chain genes whose V(D)J recombination results in a functional reading frame mature into B cells that exit the bone marrow. The V(D)J recombination process creates a large repertoire of different variable regions from a restricted pool of germline genes. Additional variablity arises during the process of somatic hypermutation in mature B cells proliferating in germinal centers of lymphoid organs (reviewed in French et al. 1989). B cells that have mutated to express high-affinity antibodies are selected and develop into plasma cells or memory cells. B cells with mutations that decrease the affinity of the expressed Igs or that prevent Ig expression die by apoptosis. The somatic point mutations are located within the variable region and their proximate upstream and downstream flanks, but not generally within the constant region.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA

    U. Storb, H. M. Shen, K. Kage & T. E. Martin

  2. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA

    A. Peters & N. Kim

  3. Committee on Immunology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA

    U. Storb, E. Klotz & T. E. Martin

  4. Trudeau Institute, Saranac Lake, NY, 12983, USA

    B. Rogerson

Authors
  1. U. Storb
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  2. A. Peters
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  3. E. Klotz
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  4. N. Kim
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  5. H. M. Shen
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  6. K. Kage
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  7. B. Rogerson
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  8. T. E. Martin
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 655 W. Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA

    Garnett Kelsoe D. Sc.

  2. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Miami School of Medicine, 1600 NW 10th Avenue, Miami, FL, 33136, USA

    Martin F. Flajnik Ph.D.

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© 1998 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Storb, U. et al. (1998). Somatic Hypermutation of Immunoglobulin Genes is Linked to Transcription. In: Kelsoe, G., Flajnik, M.F. (eds) Somatic Diversification of Immune Responses. Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology, vol 229. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-71984-4_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-71984-4_2

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-71986-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-71984-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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