Ig heavy-chain gene revision: leaping towards autoimmunity.
B cells can revise their antigen receptors outside the confines of the bone marrow by secondary Ig gene rearrangements. Although the initial motivation to perform these revisions might be to silence a self-reactive specificity, those B cells that reinitiate the recombination process can perform a series of "leaping" rearrangements and inadvertently shift their receptor specificity towards autoimmunity. Heavy-chain receptor revision, coupled with other atypical rearrangements, might contribute to autoantibody production in systemic lupus erythematosus.
Klonowski
K D
KD
Temple University School of Medicine, Dept of Microbiology and Immunology, 3400 N. Broad St., Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA.
Monestier
M
M
D000818:Animals; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D015326:Gene Rearrangement, B-Lymphocyte, Heavy Chain; D005803:Genes, Immunoglobulin; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; C499311:RAG2 protein, human; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell; C064655:V(D)J recombination activating protein 2; C064658:RAG-1 protein