Somatic mutation, affinity maturation and the antibody repertoire: a computer model.

Abstract excerpt

Somatic mutation has been implicated as a significant and possibly primary factor in the maturation of antibody affinity in the humoral immune response. B cells stimulated by antigen experience a hyper-mutation in the gene segments that code for the antigen-binding site of the antibody, creating antibody specificities that did not exist at the time of immunization. Although most of the mutations are likely to be...

Topics

• Animals
• Antibodies
• Antibody Affinity
• Antibody Diversity
• Antibody Specificity
• Antigen-Antibody Reactions
• Binding Sites, Antibody
• Computer Simulation
• Genetic Code
• Models, Genetic
• Mutation