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V(D)J Recombination

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Encyclopedia of Cancer

  • 31 Accesses

Synonyms

Immunoglobulin rearrangements; Somatic recombination of V, D, and J segments; T cell receptor gene rearrangement

Definition

Surface immunoglobulin (expressed on B lymphocytes) and T cell receptors (expressed on T lymphocytes) represent the central molecules for antigen recognition in adaptive immune responses. Variable (V), diversity (D), and joining (J) gene segments, which together encode immunoglobulin or T cell receptor variable chains, are present in every somatic cell. However, in order to acquire coding capacity, V, D, and J gene segments need to be assembled in a functional configuration. The mechanism for the assembly of V, D, and J gene segments, termed V(D)J recombination, represents a unique capacity of both B and T lymphocytes.

Characteristics

More than 30 years ago, Hozumi and Tonegawa discovered that immunoglobulin genes in B lymphocytes as opposed to any other somatic cell type undergo a complex rearrangement process in order to assemble a functional...

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References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Leukemia and Lymphoma Program, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Markus Müschen

Authors
  1. Markus Müschen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Markus Müschen .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Abt. Tumorgenetik, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Heidelberg, Germany

    Manfred Schwab

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© 2012 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Müschen, M. (2012). V(D)J Recombination. In: Schwab, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Cancer. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27841-9_6171-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27841-9_6171-2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27841-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Biomedicine and Life SciencesReference Module Biomedical and Life Sciences

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