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Evolutionary and somatic selection of the antibody repertoire in the mouse
K Rajewsky1, I Förster, A Cumano
1Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne, Köln, FRG.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|November 20, 1987
Abstract:
The repertoire of antibody variable (V) regions has been subject to evolutionary selection, affecting both the diversity of V region genes in the germline and their expression in the B lymphocyte population and its subsets. In ontogeny, contact with an antigen leads to the expansion of B cells expressing antibodies complementary to it. In a defined phase of B cell differentiation, new sets of V regions are generated from the existing repertoire through somatic hypermutation. Cells carrying advantageous antibody mutants are selected into the memory compartment and produce a stable secondary response upon reexposure to the antigen.