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Locus suicide recombination

In response to immunization or infection, B lymphocytes undergo a maturation process that results in the production of antibodies i.e. immunoglobulin (Ig) that is better able to bind the antigen and clear the invading pathogen. This process of "affinity maturation" occurs through somatic cell hypermutation and class switch recombination of the Ig heavy chain locus and requires activation-induced deaminase (AID). Michel Cogné and colleagues observed that the 3’ regulatory region of the immunoglobulin heavy chain locus (a super-enhancer) is transcribed and undergoes AID-mediated recombination. The resulting deletion of the complete Ig heavy gene cluster yields B cells that are no longer able to express Ig on their cell surface. Because cell-surface Ig expression forms the "B-cell receptor", the expression of which is essential for B cell survival, this process is termed “locus suicide recombination” (LSR). LSR may thus be important in shaping the dynamics of B effector cell differentiation and homeostasis.