title: [Receptor selection and B cell immune tolerance].
abstract: The immune system of mammalian has developed sophisticated mechanism to deal with diverse unknown antigens by random rearrangement of V, D and J antigen gene fragments. The immune self-tolerance is the mechanism to avoid self-destruction by the gene rearrangement generated autoreactive lymphocytes. Until recently it was believed that autoreactive lymphocytes are either deleted or rendered unable to respond by the supposed cell or clone selection mechanism. However, recent findings from a number of laboratories suggest instead of cell selection but receptor selection plays an essential role in immune self-tolerance. Receptor selection is carried out by secondary or nested rearrangement of antigen receptor gene fragments, and can occur at different stages of lymphocyte differentiation. Furthermore, secondary rearrangement of receptor gene also plays an important role in shaping immune response after the interaction of receptor with antigen by altering its specificity.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Biotherapy of Human Diseases, Ministry of Education, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Yuquan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wei
mesh_terms: D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D015322:Gene Rearrangement, B-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology*; D005803:Genes, Immunoglobulin; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell / Q000276:immunology*; D017634:Self Tolerance / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell