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A unifying hypothesis for the molecular mechanism of somatic mutation and gene conversion in rearranged immunoglobulin variable genes
Author(s) -
Blanden Robert V,
Steele Edward J
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
immunology and cell biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.999
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1440-1711
pISSN - 0818-9641
DOI - 10.1046/j.1440-1711.1998.00738.x
Subject(s) - somatic hypermutation , gene conversion , biology , gene , genetics , homologous chromosome , complementary dna , somatic cell , dna , transcription (linguistics) , gene rearrangement , recombination , antibody , b cell , linguistics , philosophy
We have reviewed available data concerning the mechanism of somatic hypermutation in rearranged variable genes of Ig in B lymphocytes of mice and the gene conversion process which generates diversity in these genes in the B lymphocytes of chickens. In our view, these data are consistent with a unifying hypothesis of diversity generating mechanisms involving reverse transcription to produce cDNA from RNA transcripts followed by homologous recombination into chromosomal DNA. Thus, seemingly different processes in the mouse and chicken may have a common molecular basis.