Comparison of identical and functional Igh alleles reveals a nonessential role for Eμ in somatic hypermutation and class-switch recombination.

ABSTRACT: Somatic hypermutation (SHM), coupled with Ag selection, provides a mechanism for generating Abs with high affinity for invading pathogens. Class-switch recombination (CSR) ensures that these Abs attain pathogen-appropriate effector functions. Although the enzyme critical to both processes, activation-induced cytidine deaminase, has been identified, it remains unclear which cis-elements within the Ig loci are responsible for recruiting activation-induced cytidine deaminase and promoting its activity. Studies showed that Ig gene-transcription levels are positively correlated with the frequency of SHM and CSR, making the intronic, transcriptional enhancer Eμ a likely contributor to both processes. Tests of this hypothesis yielded mixed results arising, in part, from the difficulty in studying

SUBMITTER: Li F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3280099 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature