biostudies-literatureUnknown95(5)Goossens THuman naive and germinal center (GC) B cells were sorted by flow cytometry and rearranged VH region genes were amplified and sequenced from single cells. Whereas no deletions or insertions were found in naive B cells, approximately 4% of in-frame and >40% of out-of-frame rearrangements of GC B cells harbored deletions and/or insertions of variable length. The pattern of deletions/insertions and their restriction to mutated V genes strongly suggests that they result from somatic hypermutation. Deletions and insertions account for approximately 6% of somatic mutations introduced into rearranged VH region genes of GC B cells. These deletions/insertions seem to be the main cause for the generation of heavy chain disease proteins. Furthermore, it appears that several types of oncogene translocations (like c-myc translocations in Burkitt's lymphoma) occur as a byproduct of somatic hypermutation within the GC-and not during V(D)J recombination in the bone marrow as previously thought.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America2463-8https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC19376biostudies-literatureFrequent occurrence of deletions and duplications during somatic hypermutation: implications for oncogene translocations and heavy chain disease.PMC19376Klein UKuppers RGoossens TfalseFrequent occurrence of deletions and duplications during somatic hypermutation: implications for oncogene translocations and heavy chain disease.Human naive and germinal center (GC) B cells were sorted by flow cytometry and rearranged VH region genes were amplified and sequenced from single cells. Whereas no deletions or insertions were found in naive B cells, approximately 4% of in-frame and >40% of out-of-frame rearrangements of GC B cells harbored deletions and/or insertions of variable length. The pattern of deletions/insertions and their restriction to mutated V genes strongly suggests that they result from somatic hypermutation. Deletions and insertions account for approximately 6% of somatic mutations introduced into rearranged VH region genes of GC B cells. These deletions/insertions seem to be the main cause for the generation of heavy chain disease proteins. Furthermore, it appears that several types of oncogene translocations (like c-myc translocations in Burkitt's lymphoma) occur as a byproduct of somatic hypermutation within the GC-and not during V(D)J recombination in the bone marrow as previously thought.1998-01-01T00:00:00Z1998 Mar2024-11-09T20:15:34.642Z2019-03-27T00:17:46ZS-EPMC19376948290810.1073/pnas.95.5.2463