Conservation of sequence in recombination signal sequence spacers

The variable domains of immunoglobulins and T cell receptors are assembled through the somatic, site specific recombination of multiple germline segments (V, D, and J segments) or V(D)J rearrangement. The recombination signal sequence (RSS) is necessary and sufficient for cell type specific targetin...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nucleic acids research 1994-05, Vol.22 (10), p.1785-1796
Main Authors: Ramsden, Dale A., Baetz, Kristin, Wu, Gillian E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Antibody Diversity
Base Composition
Base Sequence
Biological and medical sciences
Consensus Sequence
Conserved Sequence
DNA - genetics
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Gene Rearrangement - genetics
Genes, Immunoglobulin - genetics
Genic rearrangement. Recombination. Transposable element
Humans
Molecular and cellular biology
Molecular genetics
Molecular Sequence Data
Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell - genetics
Recombination, Genetic - genetics
Sequence Alignment
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Description
Summary:The variable domains of immunoglobulins and T cell receptors are assembled through the somatic, site specific recombination of multiple germline segments (V, D, and J segments) or V(D)J rearrangement. The recombination signal sequence (RSS) is necessary and sufficient for cell type specific targeting of the V(D)J rearrangement machinery to these germline segments. Previously, the RSS has been described as possessing both a conserved heptamer and a conserved nonamer motif. The heptamer and nonamer motifs are separated by a ‘spacer’ that was not thought to possess significant sequence conservation, however the length of the spacer could be either 12 +/− 1 bp or 23 +/− 1 bp long. In this report we have assembled and analyzed an extensive data base of published RSS. We have derived, through extensive consensus comparison, a more detailed description of the RSS than has previously been reported. Our analysis indicates that RSS spacers possess significant conservation of sequence, and that the conserved sequence in 12 bp spacers is similar to the conserved sequence in the first half of 23 bp spacers.
ISSN:0305-1048
1362-4962
DOI:10.1093/nar/22.10.1785