Rearrangement/hypermutation/gene conversion: when, where and why?
Diversification strategies for immunoglobulins vary widely in different species. Here, Jean-Claude Weill and Claude-Agnès Reynaud argue that V(D)J recombination arose as a means for achieving allelic exclusion rather than diversity, and postulate that the choice of a diversification strategy is selected along with a specific site of B-cell differentiation. They propose that somatic mutation and gene conversion represent analogous molecular strategies occurring in specific chromatin accessibility contexts.
Weill
J C
JC
INSERM U373, Faculté de Médecine Necker, Enfants Malades, Université Paris, France.
Reynaud
C A
CA
D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D015322:Gene Rearrangement, B-Lymphocyte; D005803:Genes, Immunoglobulin; D006801:Humans; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region / Q000235:genetics*; D009154:Mutation
D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region