title: Immunoglobulin genes and diversity: what we have learned from domestic animals.
abstract: This review focuses on the diversity of immunoglobulin (Ig) genes and Ig isotypes that are expressed in domestic animals. Four livestock species-cattle, sheep, pigs, and horses-express a full range of Ig heavy chains (IgHs), including μ, δ, γ, ϵ, and α. Two poultry species (chickens and ducks) express three IgH isotypes, μ, υ, and α, but not δ. The κ and λ light chains are both utilized in the four livestock species, but only the λ chain is expressed in poultry. V(D)J recombination, somatic hypermutation (SHM), and gene conversion (GC) are three distinct mechanisms by which immunoglobulin variable region diversity is generated. Different domestic animals may use distinct means to diversify rearranged variable regions of Ig genes.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, College of Biological Sciences; National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, P, R, China. yaofengzhao@cau.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Zhancai
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Liming
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Zhiguo
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yaofeng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao