title: Rabbit IgH sequences in appendix germinal centers: VH diversification by gene conversion-like and hypermutation mechanisms.
abstract: Although the rabbit IgH locus contains approximately 100 VH genes, the majority of B cells rearrange VH1. To produce a primary repertoire containing a sufficient number of protective antibodies, rearranged VH1-DH-JH sequences may diversify within rabbit B cells in an organ that functions like a chicken bursa, sheep ileal Peyer's patch, or both. It was suggested many years ago that the rabbit appendix could be a bursal equivalent. To reexamine this possibility, we analyzed rearranged heavy chain variable region sequences in B cells from light and dark zones of appendix germinal centers from 6-week-old rabbits. Our findings indicate that antibody diversification occurs by gene conversion-like and somatic hypermutation mechanisms in appendix germinal centers of young rabbits.
authors.affiliation: Applied Research Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, Maryland 21702, USA.
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Weinstein
authors.forename: A O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Mage
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000916:Antibody Diversity; D000917:Antibody Formation; D001065:Appendix / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D005785:Gene Conversion; D015326:Gene Rearrangement, B-Lymphocyte, Heavy Chain; D005803:Genes, Immunoglobulin; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000502:physiology; D008957:Models, Genetic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011817:Rabbits; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA