Work

Specificity in V(D)J recombination: new lessons from biochemistry and genetics

Year: 1997

Type: review

Abstract: Recent in vitro work on V(D)J recombination has helped to clarify its mechanism. The first stage of the reaction, which can be reproduced with the purified RAG1 and RAG2 proteins, is a site-specific cleavage that generates the same broken DNA species found in vivo. The cleavage reaction is closely related to known types of transpositional recombination, such as that of HIV integrase. All the site specificity of V(D)J recombination, including the 12/23 rule, is determined by the RAG proteins. The later steps largely overlap with the repair of radiation-induced DNA double-strand breaks, as indicated by the identity of several newly characterized factors involved in repair. These developments open the way for a thorough biochemical study of V(D)J recombination.

Source: Current Opinion in Immunology

DOI: 10.1016/s0952-7915(97)80167-7

Authors: Dale A Ramsden, Dik C van Gent, Martin Gellert

Institutions: National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Erasmus University Rotterdam

Language: English

Topic: DNA Repair Mechanisms

Subfield: Molecular Biology

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,410

Funders: Medical Research Council Canada, National Institutes of Health, Medical Research Council