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Problem and paradigms: Somatic generation of a genetic polymorphism: Towards the solution of the I‐J Enigma
Author(s) -
Tada Tomio,
Asano Yoshihiro
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
bioessays
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.175
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1521-1878
pISSN - 0265-9247
DOI - 10.1002/bies.950040612
Subject(s) - major histocompatibility complex , biology , genetics , mendelian inheritance , locus (genetics) , gene , somatic cell
I‐J has been regarded as a polymorphic genetic marker controlled by a locus in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) which is expressed only on functional T cells. However, this antigenic determinant has been found not to be directly encoded by the MHC gene per se but is somatically generated according to the MHC of the cellular environment during ontogeny. This explains the apparent linkage of I‐J to MHC, despite the failure to find the structural gene for I‐J within the MHC. The I‐J paradox provides an instance of a polymorphism that does not follow the standard genetics of Mendelian structural genes.