Molecular mechanisms for class switch recombination and somatic hypermutation of immunoglobulin genes

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AID is the molecule central for Immunoglobulin gene alteration ; its activity is believed to be involved in tumorigenesis in various types of cells. We have analyzed the regulatory elements in/around Aicda, the gene for AID and have determined essential DNA regions for enhancer and silencer. Some factors that bind to these elements were confirmed by chromatin immunoprecipitation. We also found that Spt6, a histone chaperon, associates with AID and it is involved in class switch recombination of immunoglobulin gene. A C-terminus of AID required for the repairing step of the recombination. These findings provide an important insight for understanding the molecular mechanisms of AID in normal and abnormal situation that are essential for antibody diversity and tumorigenesis, respectively.