title: The V(D)J recombination activating gene, RAG-1.
abstract: The RAG-1 (recombination activating gene-1) genomic locus, which activates V(D)J recombination when introduced into NIH 3T3 fibroblasts, was isolated by serial genomic transfections of oligonucleotide-tagged DNA. A genomic walk spanning 55 kb yielded a RAG-1 genomic probe that detects a single 6.6-7.0 kb mRNA species in transfectants and pre-B and pre-T cells. RAG-1 genomic and cDNA clones were biologically active when introduced into NIH 3T3 cells. Nucleotide sequencing of human and mouse RAG-1 cDNA clones predicts 119 kd proteins of 1043 and 1040 amino acids, respectively, with 90% sequence identity. RAG-1 has been conserved between species that carry out V(D)J recombination, and its pattern of expression correlates exactly with the pattern of expression of V(D)J recombinase activity. RAG-1 may activate V(D)J recombination indirectly, or it may encode the V(D)J recombinase itself.
authors.affiliation: Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Nine Cambridge Center, Massachusetts 02142.
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Schatz
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Oettinger
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Baltimore
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D005075:Biological Evolution; D002460:Cell Line; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004254:DNA Nucleotidyltransferases / Q000235:genetics; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D015723:Gene Library; D015329:Gene Rearrangement, T-Lymphocyte; D005803:Genes, Immunoglobulin; D015698:Genomic Library; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000235:genetics*; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D014162:Transfection; D045567:VDJ Recombinases
chemical_list: D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D004254:DNA Nucleotidyltransferases; D045567:VDJ Recombinases