The adaptable somatic repertoire.
Somatic mutation introduces singles nucleotide substitutions in and around the rearranged kappa variable gene, Vk167, but not the constant gene. The high frequency of mutations is most easily explained by a mechanism of error-prone repair which occurs during several cycles of cell division. Mutations may accumulate with time after joining of the V- and J-gene segments because IgG and IgA antibodies contain more amino acid substitutions than IgM antibodies. Many variant anti-phosphorylcholine antibodies have a higher affinity for antigen than their germ-line-encoded counterparts.
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000916:Antibody Diversity; D001483:Base Sequence; D004260:DNA Repair; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000235:genetics; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000235:genetics; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D009154:Mutation; D010767:Phosphorylcholine / Q000276:immunology
D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains; D010767:Phosphorylcholine