Biomaterial Database

Mechanisms that control antigen receptor variable region gene assembly. 1994

A Okada, and F W Alt

Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Children's Hospital, Boston, MA.

The somatic assembly of antigen receptor genes--known as V(D)J recombination--is a highly regulated process at several different levels. V(D)J rearrangement is limited to stages of early B and T cell development by the lymphoid specific expression of recombinase activity. A common recombinase is apparently responsible for the rearrangement of all antigen receptor loci. Thus, the tissue specific and ordered rearrangement of each antigen receptor locus must depend on controlling their 'accessibility' to the recombinase. Here, we outline recent work that has contributed to the current understanding of mechanisms that control V(D)J rearrangement.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007136	Immunoglobulins	Multi-subunit proteins which function in IMMUNITY. They are produced by B LYMPHOCYTES from the IMMUNOGLOBULIN GENES. They are comprised of two heavy (IMMUNOGLOBULIN HEAVY CHAINS) and two light chains (IMMUNOGLOBULIN LIGHT CHAINS) with additional ancillary polypeptide chains depending on their isoforms. The variety of isoforms include monomeric or polymeric forms, and transmembrane forms (B-CELL ANTIGEN RECEPTORS) or secreted forms (ANTIBODIES). They are divided by the amino acid sequence of their heavy chains into five classes (IMMUNOGLOBULIN A; IMMUNOGLOBULIN D; IMMUNOGLOBULIN E; IMMUNOGLOBULIN G; IMMUNOGLOBULIN M) and various subclasses.	Globulins, Immune,Immune Globulin,Immune Globulins,Immunoglobulin,Globulin, Immune
D011946	Receptors, Antigen	Molecules on the surface of B- and T-lymphocytes that recognize and combine with specific antigens.	Antigen Receptors,Antigen Receptor,Receptor, Antigen
D011995	Recombination, Genetic	Production of new arrangements of DNA by various mechanisms such as assortment and segregation, CROSSING OVER; GENE CONVERSION; GENETIC TRANSFORMATION; GENETIC CONJUGATION; GENETIC TRANSDUCTION; or mixed infection of viruses.	Genetic Recombination,Recombination,Genetic Recombinations,Recombinations,Recombinations, Genetic
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000483	Alleles	Variant forms of the same gene, occupying the same locus on homologous CHROMOSOMES, and governing the variants in production of the same gene product.	Allelomorphs,Allele,Allelomorph
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D014158	Transcription, Genetic	The biosynthesis of RNA carried out on a template of DNA. The biosynthesis of DNA from an RNA template is called REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION.	Genetic Transcription
D015322	Gene Rearrangement, B-Lymphocyte	Ordered rearrangement of B-lymphocyte variable gene regions coding for the IMMUNOGLOBULIN CHAINS, thereby contributing to antibody diversity. It occurs during the differentiation of the IMMATURE B-LYMPHOCYTES.	B-Cell Gene Rearrangement,B-Lymphocyte Gene Rearrangement,Gene Rearrangement, B-Cell,B Cell Gene Rearrangement,B Lymphocyte Gene Rearrangement,B-Cell Gene Rearrangements,B-Lymphocyte Gene Rearrangements,Gene Rearrangement, B Cell,Gene Rearrangement, B Lymphocyte,Gene Rearrangements, B-Cell,Gene Rearrangements, B-Lymphocyte,Rearrangement, B-Cell Gene,Rearrangement, B-Lymphocyte Gene,Rearrangements, B-Cell Gene,Rearrangements, B-Lymphocyte Gene
D015329	Gene Rearrangement, T-Lymphocyte	Ordered rearrangement of T-cell variable gene regions coding for the antigen receptors.	Gene Rearrangement, T-Cell Antigen Receptor,T-Cell Gene Rearrangement,T-Lymphocyte Gene Rearrangement,Gene Rearrangement, T-Cell,Gene Rearrangement, T Cell,Gene Rearrangement, T Cell Antigen Receptor,Gene Rearrangement, T Lymphocyte,Gene Rearrangements, T-Cell,Gene Rearrangements, T-Lymphocyte,Rearrangement, T-Cell Gene,Rearrangement, T-Lymphocyte Gene,Rearrangements, T-Cell Gene,Rearrangements, T-Lymphocyte Gene,T Cell Gene Rearrangement,T Lymphocyte Gene Rearrangement,T-Cell Gene Rearrangements,T-Lymphocyte Gene Rearrangements