Cell cycle regulation of V(D)J recombination-activating protein RAG-2.

Cell cycle regulation of V(D)J recombination-activating protein RAG-2.

The antigen receptors of B and T lymphocytes are encoded in multiple germ-line DNA segments that are joined during lymphocyte development. The recombination-activating proteins RAG-1 and RAG-2 are both essential for this process, termed V(D)J rearrangement. Phosphorylation of the RAG-2 protein at Thr-490 by one or more cyclin-dependent kinases is associated with its rapid degradation. In an imm...

Expression of human recombination activating genes (RAG-1 and RAG-2) in Hodgkin's disease.

The differentiation status of Sternberg-Reed (SR) cells is still not well defined, primarily because of their scarcity in tumor biopsies of Hodgkin's disease (HD). In this study we have determined the genomic differentiation status of SR cells by quantitation of recombinase activating gene (RAG) expression. RAG genes are selectively transcribed in immature lymphoid cells. In B cells they are si...

VDJ Recombination

Artemis is the newest player in VDJ recombination and double strand break repair. First identified in radiation-sensitive and immune-deficient patients, it was recently shown to interact with DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs) and have nuclease activity, becoming the most popular candidate for the opening of hairpin coding ends. Reports presented in this issue (1) and in ...

Independent of the Rag Proteins Beyond the 12/23 Rule of VDJ Recombination

Rch1, a protein that specifically interacts with the RAG-1 recombination-activating protein.

RAG1 and RAG2 are lymphoid-specific genes that together induce V(D)J recombinase activity in a variety of nonlymphoid cell types. While no other lymphoid-specific factors are required to induce recombination, other factors with more widespread expression patterns have been implicated in the reaction. However, none of these factors have been cloned, and their relationship to the RAG proteins is ...