VDJ Recombination Flashcards
Germ-line Theories
Entire geneomic information to generate Abs in present in the germ-line genome (Ab diversity is generated bt recombining seperate DNA segments in the germ-line genome of B cells)
Somatic mutation theories
Ab variablility reigons undergo mutation in B cells to generate a diverse repertoire of Ab
Which of the 2 theories (germ-line and somatic mutation) are true?
Both!
What gene segments make up the light chain of an Ab?
V (variable) and J (joining) segments
What gene segments make up the heavy chain of an Ab?
V (varibale), D (diversity) and J (Joining) segments
Combinatoral diversity (what is the process that allows for this called?)
The combination of different V and J (LC) segements and V, D, and J (HC) segments to allow for fifferent LC and HC’s to be generated
the process of doing this is called V(D)J recombination
What is the benifit of having multiple V, D, and J segements?
Allows for many combinations to be created from the multiple copies of each segment
What 3 factors contribute to combinatoral diversity?
- VDJ recombination in the HC
- VJ recombination of the LC
- The combination of the HC and LC
RSS (recombination signal sequence)
- critical for recombination
- they are heptamer or nonamer sequences that are conserved with respect to size and sequence and are the sequence before each V, D and J segment
- there are spacers between each RSS that are conserved in respect to size but NOT sequence
12/23 rule
RSS sequences with 12bp spacers can only recombine with RSS sequences with 23bp spacers
aka… 1turn/2turn rule
Describe the recombination of the kappa LC?
- 3’ of each Vk (kappa) segement is a 12bp RSS and each Jk segment has a 5’ 23bp RSS
- 1 V segment recombines with 1 J segment to generate VL (varibale light) of the kappa light chain and intervening DNA is removed
Describe the recombination of the HC?
- 3’ of each V segment is a 23bp RSS, each J segment has a 5’ 23bp RSS, and the D segment has a 5’ and 3’ 12bp RSS motif
- 1 D segment first recombines with 1 J segment, then 1 V segment recombines with the recombined DJ segment to generate the VH reigon and the intervening DNA is removed in both cases
Recombinase activating genes 1/2 (RAG-1/2)
- lymphoid specific proteins that catalyze DNA strand breakage
- absolutley required for VDJ recombination (including TCR gene rearrangments)
high mobility group box (HMGB) proteins
Stabilize RAG-1/2 binding and help facilitate the bending of DNA
Describe how RAG-1/2 contributes to VDJ recombination.
the RAG-1/2 proteins nick the 5’ end of the heptameric RSS sequences. There s a free hydroxyl (-OH) groupcreated by the nick that will attack the phosphate on the opposite strand creating a hairpin structure.
The free hydroxyl group binds to the opposite strand with the phosphate forming the coding end (this is the combined V(D)J segment depending on what we are talking about.
the RSS sequences that did not bind are the signalling ends
(see lecture notes if confused)