Clustering-based identification of clonally-related immunoglobulin gene sequence sets.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Clonal expansion of B lymphocytes coupled with somatic mutation and antigen selection allow the mammalian humoral immune system to generate highly specific immunoglobulins (IG) or antibodies against invading bacteria, viruses and toxins. The availability of high-throughput DNA sequencing methods is providing new avenues for studying this clonal expansion and identifying the factors guiding the generation of antibodies. The identification of groups of rearranged immunoglobulin gene sequences descended from the same rearrangement (clonally-related sets) in very large sets of sequences is facilitated by the availability of immunoglobulin gene sequence alignment and partitioning software that can accurately predict component germline gene, but has required painstaking visual

SUBMITTER: Chen Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2946782 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature