A2 Refereed review article in a scientific journal
Immunoglobulin germline gene variation and its impact on human disease
Authors: Mikocziova Ivana, Greiff Victor, Sollid Ludvig M
Publisher: SPRINGERNATURE
Publication year: 2021
Journal: Genes and Immunity
Journal name in source: GENES AND IMMUNITY
Journal acronym: GENES IMMUN
Volume: 22
First page : 205
Last page: 217
Number of pages: 13
ISSN: 1466-4879
eISSN: 1476-5470
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41435-021-00145-5
Abstract
Immunoglobulins (Ig) play an important role in the immune system both when expressed as antigen receptors on the cell surface of B cells and as antibodies secreted into extracellular fluids. The advent of high-throughput sequencing methods has enabled the investigation of human Ig repertoires at unprecedented depth. This has led to the discovery of many previously unreported germline Ig alleles. Moreover, it is becoming clear that convergent and stereotypic antibody responses are common where different individuals recognise defined antigenic epitopes with the use of the same Ig V genes. Thus, germline V gene variation is increasingly being linked to the differential capacity of generating an effective immune response, which might lead to varying disease susceptibility. Here, we review recent evidence of how germline variation in Ig genes impacts the Ig repertoire and its subsequent effects on the adaptive immune response in vaccination, infection, and autoimmunity.
Immunoglobulins (Ig) play an important role in the immune system both when expressed as antigen receptors on the cell surface of B cells and as antibodies secreted into extracellular fluids. The advent of high-throughput sequencing methods has enabled the investigation of human Ig repertoires at unprecedented depth. This has led to the discovery of many previously unreported germline Ig alleles. Moreover, it is becoming clear that convergent and stereotypic antibody responses are common where different individuals recognise defined antigenic epitopes with the use of the same Ig V genes. Thus, germline V gene variation is increasingly being linked to the differential capacity of generating an effective immune response, which might lead to varying disease susceptibility. Here, we review recent evidence of how germline variation in Ig genes impacts the Ig repertoire and its subsequent effects on the adaptive immune response in vaccination, infection, and autoimmunity.