Hypermutation in shark immunoglobulin light chain genes results in contiguous substitutions.

Publication/Presentation Date

4-1-2002

Abstract

Among 631 substitutions present in 90 nurse shark immunoglobulin light chain somatic mutants, 338 constitute 2-4 bp stretches of adjacent changes. An absence of mutations in perinatal sequences and the bias for one mutating V gene in adults suggest that the diversification is antigen dependent. The substitutions shared no patterns, and the absence of donor sequences, including from family members, supports the idea that most changes arose from nontemplated mutation. The tandem mutations as a group are distinguished by consistently fewer transition changes and an A bias. We suggest this is one of several pathways of hypermutation diversifying shark antigen-receptor genes--point mutations, tandem mutations, and mutations with a G-C preference--that coevolved with or preceded gene rearrangement.

Volume

16

Issue

4

First Page

571

Last Page

582

ISSN

1074-7613

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences

PubMedID

11970880

Department(s)

Department of Medicine

Document Type

Article

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