How can we generate diversity of antibodies?

BRY2K

There are eight known different ways to generate antibody diversity: combinatorial association of different H and L chains, multiple germ line variable segments, and combinatorial joining of V-(D)-J segments. These are basically various ways to combine inherited bits of genetic information into increasingly complex arrangements to give rise to proteins, which are made of separate H and L chains. These affect the three CDRs of both heavy and light chains. The first two CDRs are encoded by V region segments, of which there are hundreds of different choices. The third CDR is encoded by the J segment (and also D for heavy chains), allowing some additional variability there. The first of these mechanisms is joining flexibility which allows a slight “staggering” of the site of junction between the two segments There are three other mechanisms that generate diversity that come from the fact that the joining of different segments, in V-(D)-J joining, is somewhat imprecise. See the others and more related information here: http://legacy.lclark.edu/~reiness/immuno/lectures/Antibody%20Diversity,%20pt.%202.pdf Oct 25 09, 7:39 AM