Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Testing the reverse transcriptase model of somatic mutation.

S Z Sack1, P D Bardwell, M D Scharff

  • 1Department of Cell Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY 10461, USA.

Molecular Immunology
|September 22, 2001
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Generation and maintenance of hybridomas.

Immunology today·2014
Same author

The production of more useful monoclonal antibodies I. Modifications of the basic technology.

Immunology today·2014
Same author

The production of more useful monoclonal antibodies 2. The use of somatic-cell genetic and recombinant-DNA technology to tailor-make monoclonal antibodies.

Immunology today·2014
Same author

The MutSβ complex is a modulator of p53-driven tumorigenesis through its functions in both DNA double-strand break repair and mismatch repair.

Oncogene·2013
Same author

Resistance to ABT-737 in activated T lymphocytes: molecular mechanisms and reversibility by inhibition of the calcineurin-NFAT pathway.

Cell death & disease·2012
Same author

B-cell-dependent memory T cells impede nonmyeloablative mixed chimerism induction in presensitized mice.

American journal of transplantation : official journal of the American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons·2011
Same journal

m6A modification of LINC00458 enhances HMOX1 stability via ELAVL1 recruitment to promote ferroptosis and aggravate asthma.

Molecular immunology·2026
Same journal

Overexpression of Hes1 inhibits cigarette smoke-induced mitochondrial apoptosis in AT2 cells by activating the Pgc-1α/Tfam signaling pathway.

Molecular immunology·2026
Same journal

Progesterone promotes favorable pregnancy outcomes in recurrent spontaneous, abortion by attenuating NK Cell overactivation and upregulating the cAMP/PKA/CREB signaling axis.

Molecular immunology·2026
Same journal

Oleanolic acid alleviates hepatic fibrosis by inhibiting liver macrophage recruitment and polarization.

Molecular immunology·2026
Same journal

Cordycepin attenuates diabetic nephropathy by dual-pathway activation of TFEB to restore autophagy and ameliorate podocyte injury.

Molecular immunology·2026
Same journal

Endothelial-derived TWEAK drives granulosa cell apoptosis in PCOS via the Fn14-oxidative stress axis.

Molecular immunology·2026
See all related articles

This study investigated the role of reverse transcriptase in antibody gene mutation. Results show that standard reverse transcription is not required for antibody V region hypermutation in mice.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Antibody affinity maturation relies on somatic hypermutation of immunoglobulin variable (V) regions.
  • The precise mechanisms driving these multiple point mutations remain largely unknown.
  • A proposed model suggested an intrinsic reverse transcriptase (RT) copying mRNA to generate mutations, followed by gene conversion.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the necessity of endogenous reverse transcriptase activity in somatic hypermutation of immunoglobulin V regions.
  • To test the Steele and Pollard model of hypermutation involving reverse transcription.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a murine in vivo model to study somatic hypermutation.
  • Administered AZT and ddC, known inhibitors of endogenous RTs, to assess their impact on mutation frequencies.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Analyzed mutation frequencies and characteristics in treated and untreated groups.

    • Main Results:

    • Somatic hypermutation occurred at comparable frequencies in both the presence and absence of RT inhibitors.
    • The characteristics of somatic hypermutation remained consistent regardless of RT inhibitor treatment.
    • These findings indicate that standard reverse transcription is not essential for this process in mice.

    Conclusions:

    • Standard reverse transcription is not a required mechanism for antibody V region hypermutation in mice.
    • The Steele and Pollard model, which posits a critical role for RT, is not supported by these findings.
    • Further research is needed to elucidate the exact molecular mechanisms underlying antibody gene hypermutation.