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Regulation of immunoglobulin variable region gene assembly: Development of the primary antibody repertoire
Author(s) -
Berman Jeffrey E.,
Malynn Barbara A.,
Blackwell T. Keith,
Alt Frederick W.
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.950050503
Subject(s) - antibody repertoire , antibody , gene , biology , repertoire , immunoglobulin class switching , immune system , mechanism (biology) , genetics , immunoglobulin gene , microbiology and biotechnology , virology , b cell , philosophy , physics , epistemology , acoustics
The immune system can generate an almost infinite number of different antibody specificities, the sum of which is the antibody repertoire. This article considers aspects of the mechanism and control of immunoglobulin variable (V) region gene assembly with a focus on how these factors may affect generation of the antibody repertoire in normal and disease states. New model systems to study the mechanism and control of V gene assembly are described, in particular the introduction of V gene recombination substrates into Abelson murine leukemia virus‐transformed pre‐B cells. Finally, a model is presented which suggests that control of V gene assembly is mediated by regulating accessibility of substrate gene segments to recombinational machinery.