title: Creation of immunoglobulin diversity by intrachromosomal gene conversion.
abstract: Not all vertebrates create an immunoglobulin repertoire through the recombination of individual members of variable (V), diversity (D) and joining (J) gene segment families. In chickens, for example, a diverse set of immunoglobulins is created by intrachromosomal gene conversion of the single variable gene segments of the immunoglobulin heavy and light chain genes. Recent evidence from other species such as the rabbit suggests that gene conversion may be a more widespread mechanism for the creation of immunologic diversity than previously supposed.
authors: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor 48109.
authors: C B
authors: CB
authors: Thompson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000916:Antibody Diversity / Q000235:genetics*; D002060:Bursa of Fabricius / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology; D002642:Chick Embryo; D002645:Chickens / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D005785:Gene Conversion; D015322:Gene Rearrangement, B-Lymphocyte; D005803:Genes, Immunoglobulin; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains / Q000235:genetics; D008957:Models, Genetic; D011544:Pseudogenes; D011817:Rabbits / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains