Molecular Studies on Antigen Receptor Gene Recombination

在B淋巴细胞和T淋巴细胞的分化过程中，抗体和T细胞抗原受体基因经历了一系列复杂的重组事件。所有的抗原受体可变区基因都含有一对高度保守的重组信号序列，它们是位点特异性重组酶的靶标。为了确定和描述这种重组过程中涉及的因素，阿奎莱拉博士寻找了可能与重组信号特异相互作用的核因素。利用灵敏的电泳法，已在重组阳性的前B细胞中鉴定出DNA结合因子，它们与V-(D)-J重组信号特异结合。这项研究的下一步目标是：(1)进一步鉴定与重组信号特异相互作用的淋巴细胞核因子；(2)继续进行导致纯化这些结合因子的实验；(3)克隆和鉴定与V-(D)-J重组信号相互作用的核因子编码基因。这项研究的长期目标是描述参与免疫系统细胞内抗原受体基因重组的酶机制。这些事件是产生大量不同的特定受体分子的基础，这些受体分子识别并使个人对广泛的外来物质产生免疫反应。

During the differentiation of B and T-lymphocytes, antibody and T-cell antigen receptor genes undergo a complicated series of recombination events. All of the antigen receptor variable region genes contain a pair of highly conserved recombination signal sequences which are the targets of a site-specific recombinase. In an attempt to identify and characterize the factors involved in this recombination process, Dr. Aguilera has sought nuclear factors which might interact specifically with the recombination signals. With the use of sensitive electrophoretic assays, DNA binding factors have been identified in recombination-positive pre-B cells which bind specifically to the V-(D)-J recombination signals. The next goals of this research are: (1) To further characterize the lymphocyte nuclear factors which interact specifically with the recombination signals; (2) To continue experiments leading to the purification of these binding factors; (3) To clone and characterize the genes encoding nuclear factors which interact with the V-(D)-J recombination signals. The long term objective of this research is the characterization of the enzymatic machinery involved in antigen receptor gene recombination in cells of the immune system. These events underlie the generation of the vast diversity of specific receptor molecules that recognize and enable an individual to develop an immune response to a wide array of foreign substances.