ABSTRACT

In the model V-gene mutation is assumed to occur independently of chromosomal DNA replication, and on only one strand of a local DNA replication bubble centered around the V-region gene. There are several implications of this model for potential attempts to simulate the maturation of the immune response via landscape theory. The appeal of this model in light of the data discussed is that it predicts not only that the efficiency of affinity maturation on a per-cell basis will be high, but that deleterious mutations can be temporary and need not automatically lead to cell death. According to the neo-Darwinian model, the time necessary to take a step is determined by the rate of cell division. With the advent of recombinant DNA, nucleic acid sequencing, and hybridoma technologies, a quantum leap was taken in our understanding of the molecular and cellular basis of humoral immunity.