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BBSRC Quota Studentship: Chromatin remodelling mechanisms that control immunoglobulin rearrangement and lymphocyte commitment

ReferenceBBS/E/B/0000L956
Principal Investigator / Supervisor Dr Anne Corcoran
Co-Investigators /
Co-Supervisors
Institution Babraham Institute
DepartmentBabraham Institute Department
Funding typeResearch
Value (£) 9,383
StatusCompleted
TypeInstitute Project
Start date 01/10/2003
End date 30/04/2007
Duration43 months

Abstract

In order to fight infection, B lymphocytes in the immune system must make antibodies of several million different types to recognise all the potential foreign pathogens the body may encounter. They do this firstly by cutting and pasting together two hundred different antibody genes into multiple different combinations. These genes are divided into three groups ¿ variable (V), diversity (D) and joining (J) genes. The DNA is made available for this recombining process only at very specific stages of development of the B cell, such that the genes are recombined together in a strict order : a D gene recombines with a J gene first, followed by adding on a V gene. This order ensures that correct antibodies are made and that the DNA is not `cut¿ at the wrong time, which can lead to incorrect pasting and lymphomas. It is unknown what stops V genes recombining before D and J genes. We have identified a large DNA region between the V and D genes. The aim of the project is to determine whether this region contains DNA sequences that regulate the order of recombination.

Summary

unavailable
Committee Closed Committee - Genes & Developmental Biology (GDB)
Research TopicsX – not assigned to a current Research Topic
Research PriorityX – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative X - not in an Initiative
Funding SchemeX – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme
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