title: Transcription, beta-like DNA polymerases and hypermutation.
abstract: This paper discusses two aspects of immunoglobulin (Ig) gene hypermutation. In the first approach, a transcription termination signal is introduced in an Ig light chain transgene acting as a mutation substrate, and transgenic lines are generated with control and mutant transgenes integrated in tandem. Analysis of transcription levels and mutation frequencies between mutant and control transgenes clearly dissociates transcription elongation and mutation, and therefore argues against models whereby specific pausing of the RNA polymerase during V gene transcription would trigger an error-prone repair process. The second part reports the identification of two novel beta-like DNA polymerases named Pol lambda and Pol mu, one of which (Pol mu) represents a good candidate for the Ig mutase due to its higher lymphoid expression and its similarity with the lymphoid enzyme terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase. Peculiar features of the expression of this gene, including an unusual splicing variability and a splicing inhibition in response to DNA-damaging agents, are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U373, Faculté de Médecine Necker-Enfants Malades, Université Paris V, France. reynaud@infobiogen.fr
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Reynaud
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Frey
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aoufouchi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Faili
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bertocci
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dahan
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Flatter
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Delbos
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Storck
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zober
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Weill
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004253:DNA Nucleotidylexotransferase / Q000502:physiology; D019951:DNA Polymerase beta / Q000502:physiology; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000235:genetics; D019751:Intramolecular Transferases / Q000502:physiology*; D009154:Mutation; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D007136:Immunoglobulins; C407743:DNA polymerase mu; D004253:DNA Nucleotidylexotransferase; D019951:DNA Polymerase beta; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase; D019751:Intramolecular Transferases