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Evolution of Antibody Variable Region Structure during the Immune Response
Author(s) -
Manser Tim,
Wysocki Lawrence J.,
Margolies Michael N.,
Gefter Malcolm L.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
immunological reviews
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.839
H-Index - 223
eISSN - 1600-065X
pISSN - 0105-2896
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-065x.1987.tb00513.x
Subject(s) - immune system , biology , immunology , antibody , antibody response , variable (mathematics) , evolutionary biology , genetics , computational biology , mathematics , mathematical analysis
The results reviewed above reveal that during the anti-Ars immune response of strain A mice a somatic process that results in the evolution of V region structure occurs. This process involves both the selection of V regions encoded by particular gene segment combinations as well as the selection of structural variants of these V regions produced by somatic mutation as the immune response progresses. As a result, both quantitative and qualitative changes in the V region population initially elicited by immunization take place. The structural and functional character of the immune V region repertoire appears to be largely determined by this process of "somatic evolution" occurring in the primary response.