Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 1999 Mar;436(2):157-78.
doi: 10.1016/s1383-5742(99)00003-4.

Somatic hypermutation and the three R's: repair, replication and recombination

Affiliations
Free article
Review

Somatic hypermutation and the three R's: repair, replication and recombination

R S Harris et al. Mutat Res. 1999 Mar.
Free article

Abstract

Somatic hypermutation introduces single base changes into the rearranged variable (V) regions of antigen activated B cells at a rate of approximately 1 mutation per kilobase per generation. This is nearly a million-fold higher than the typical mutation rate in a mammalian somatic cell. Rampant mutation at this level could have a devastating effect, but somatic hypermutation is accurately targeted and tightly regulated. Here, we provide an overview of immunoglobulin gene somatic hypermutation; discuss mechanisms of mutation in model organisms that may be relevant to the hypermutation mechanism; and review recent advances toward understanding the possible role(s) of DNA repair, replication, and recombination in this fascinating process.

PubMed Disclaimer

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources