Generation of antibody diversity in rabbits.
Most rabbit B lymphocytes use the same VH gene in V(D)J gene rearrangements and undergo somatic diversification by gene conversion and hypermutation. Recent experiments have shown that V(D)J genes in essentially all rabbit B cells diversify shortly after birth and that this diversification occurs in the gut-associated lymphoid tissue. Still to be determined is whether this diversification is developmentally programmed or is driven by exogenous microbial antigens.
Knight
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KL
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL 60153, USA. kknight@luc.edu
Winstead
C R
CR
D000818:Animals; D000916:Antibody Diversity / Q000235:genetics; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D005803:Genes, Immunoglobulin / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D011817:Rabbits / Q000276:immunology*