B cells.
Författare
Summary, in English
B cells are an important component of adaptive immunity. They produce and secrete millions of different antibody molecules, each of which recognizes a different (foreign) antigen. The fact that humans express a very large repertoire of antibodies is due to the complex mechanism of V(D)J recombination of immunoglobulin (Ig) genes as well as other processes including somatic hypermutation, gene conversion and class switching. The B cell receptor (BCR) is an integral membrane protein complex that is composed of two Ig heavy chains, two Ig light chains and two heterodimers of Igalpha and Igbeta. To eliminate foreign antigens, B cells cooperate with other cells of the immune system including macrophages, dendritic cells and T cells. B cell development is a tightly controlled process in which over 75% of the developing cells become apoptotic because of inappropriate immunoglobulin gene rearrangements or recognition of self antigens by Igs. Hence, the majority of B cell-associated disorders are caused by the incorrect function of genes/proteins involved in B cell development.
Publiceringsår
2005
Språk
Engelska
Sidor
518-523
Publikation/Tidskrift/Serie
International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology
Volym
37
Issue
3
Länkar
Dokumenttyp
Artikel i tidskrift
Förlag
Elsevier
Ämne
- Medical Genetics
Nyckelord
- B-Cell: genetics
- Antigen
- Receptors
- Immunoglobulins: deficiency
- Immunoglobulin alpha-Chains: genetics
- Immunoglobulin Light Chains: genetics
- Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains: genetics
- Immunoglobulin G: metabolism
- Immunoglobulin G: genetics
- B-Lymphocytes: immunology
- B-Lymphocytes: metabolism
- B-Cell: metabolism
- T-Lymphocytes: immunology
- VDJ Recombinases: genetics
Status
Published
ISBN/ISSN/Övrigt
- ISSN: 1878-5875