title: B cell development in mice.
abstract: The development and establishment of the B Cell Repertoire is the net result of both genetic and environmental forces. The primary event at the genetic level is Ig gene rearrangement resulting in numerous possible combination of genes which can be further modified by somatic events such as N segment addition and somatic mutation. Environmental forces in the form of self and exogenous Ags also shape the repertoire by positively or negatively selecting B cells according to the specificity of their Ig receptors. These are dynamic processes beginning with the earliest expression of immunoglobulins in fetal life and continuing throughout life. In this review we discuss the genetic and selective mechanisms responsible for differences in the early immune system compared to that of the adult.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham 35294, USA.
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Kearney
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Won
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Benedict
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Moratz
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zimmer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oliver
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000916:Antibody Diversity; D000944:Antigens, Differentiation, B-Lymphocyte / Q000378:metabolism; D016175:B-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells; D018956:CD5 Antigens / Q000502:physiology; D019070:Cell Lineage; D002465:Cell Movement; D015322:Gene Rearrangement, B-Lymphocyte; D005803:Genes, Immunoglobulin; D006410:Hematopoiesis; D007107:Immune System / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology*; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D000944:Antigens, Differentiation, B-Lymphocyte; D018956:CD5 Antigens