Chance, necessity and antibody gene dynamics.
Early in their development B lymphocytes commit themselves to the expression of only one immunoglobulin light-chain gene and only one heavy-chain gene out of the large numbers of available loci. Here I shall present the view that the initial selection of loci for expression is made by chance, whereas the exclusion of other loci from expression is a necessity imposed by the physiology of lymphocyte development.
D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D000916:Antibody Diversity; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000235:genetics; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains / Q000235:genetics; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000235:genetics*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains; D007136:Immunoglobulins