Evaluating the Role of Senataxin in Class Switch Recombination: A Model for Biological Diversity

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The Immunoglobulin (Ig) locus is a fascinating example of a biological system that has evolved multiple strategies to achieve diversity. The evolution of this locus and its regulation can teach us a great deal about how diversity is generated and regulated biologically. Our research program is thus guided by three major questions: 1) What factors have evolved in metazoans to serve specialized roles in regulating Ig diversity? 2) What is the basis for the unique diversification strategies of Ig genes observed across species? 3) How is Ig diversity regulated at the somatic level? In the long term, these studies will provide important new evolutionary insight into how diversity is achieved and regulated at the Ig locus and the consequences of this diversity on multi-organism relationships (symbiotic vs. commensal vs. pathogenic/parasitic).