Expression of activation-induced cytidine deaminase is regulated by cell division, providing a mechanistic basis for division-linked class switch recombination.

ABSTRACT: Class switch recombination (CSR) is the process by which B cells alter the effector function properties of their Ig molecules. The decision to switch to a particular Ig isotype is determined primarily by the mode of B cell activation and cytokine exposure. More recent work indicates that the likelihood or probability of switching increases with successive cell divisions and is largely independent of time. We have analyzed different molecular features of CSR using cell division as a reference point in an attempt to gain insight into the mechanism of division-linked switching. Our results indicated that the accessibility of Ig heavy chain constant regions targeted for CSR was established after the cells had undergone a single cell division and did not vary significantly with subsequent cell

SUBMITTER: Rush JS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1201576 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature