The signature of somatic hypermutation appears to be written into the germline IgV segment repertoire

R V Blanden; H S Rothenfluh; P Zylstra; G F Weiller; E J Steele

doi:10.1111/j.1600-065x.1998.tb01435.x

The signature of somatic hypermutation appears to be written into the germline IgV segment repertoire

Immunol Rev. 1998 Apr:162:117-32. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-065x.1998.tb01435.x.

Authors

R V Blanden¹, H S Rothenfluh, P Zylstra, G F Weiller, E J Steele

Affiliation

¹ Division of Immunology and Cell Biology, John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.

PMID: 9602358
DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-065x.1998.tb01435.x

Abstract

We present here a unifying hypothesis for the molecular mechanism of somatic hypermutation and somatic gene conversion in IgV genes involving reverse transcription using RNA templates from the V-gene loci to produce cDNA which undergoes homologous recombination with chromosomal V(D)J DNA. Experimental evidence produced over the last 20 years is essentially consistent with this hypothesis. We also review evidence suggesting that somatically generated IgV sequences from B lymphocytes have been fed back to germline DNA over evolutionary time.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Antibody Diversity / genetics
Cell Division / genetics
Evolution, Molecular
Gene Conversion
Gene Rearrangement
Germ-Line Mutation
Humans
Immunoglobulin Variable Region / genetics*
Models, Genetic*
Mutation*

Substances

Immunoglobulin Variable Region