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BBSRC DTA Studentship: Large-scale chromatin remodelling of immunoglobulin loci - a paradigm for multigene regulation
Reference
BBS/E/B/0000L708
Principal Investigator / Supervisor
Dr Anne Corcoran
Co-Investigators /
Co-Supervisors
Institution
Babraham Institute
Department
Babraham Institute Department
Funding type
Research
Value (£)
116,282
Status
Completed
Type
Institute Project
Start date
01/10/2007
End date
31/03/2011
Duration
42 months
Abstract
The human immune system fights infections by the generation of proteins called antibodies (immunoglobulins) that recognize and eliminate bacteria and viruses. To recognize the millions of potential infectious agents, groups of genes in the immunoglobulin DNA sequences are cut and pasted together into many different combinations in a process called V(D)J recombination. These DNA sequences are enormous, containing 200 genes, but all must be made available at the same time, so the immune system has evolved several large-scale processes that unwind the DNA to allow cutting and pasting. We have discovered that large non-coding RNAs (that don't make protein) are generated from the immunoglobulin heavy chain DNA sequence before V(D)J recombination, and we are testing the hypothesis that the process of transcription which generates these RNAs unwinds this enormous DNA sequence. This research will increase our understanding of how antibodies are made normally, and also of the causes of the failure to make enough antibodies to fight infection, which underlies several immunodeficiency diseases.
Summary
unavailable
Committee
Closed Committee - Biochemistry & Cell Biology (BCB)
Research Topics
Immunology
Research Priority
X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative
X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme
X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme
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