TARGETING OF NON-LG SEQUENCES IN-PLACE OF THE V-SEGMENT BY SOMATIC HYPERMUTATION

Affinity maturation of antibodies is characterized by localized hyperm utation of the DNA around the V segment. Here we show, using mice cont aining single or multiple transgene constructs, that an immunoglobulin V-kappa segment can be replaced by human beta-globin or prokaryotic n eo or gpt genes without affecting the rate of hypermutation; the V gen e itself is not necessary for recruiting hypermutation. The ability to target hypermutation to heterologous genes in vivo could find more ge neral applications in biology.