Abstract
Experiments show that class switch recombination (CSR) depends on the number of divisions that the cell has performed rather than on the time since stimulation. Using computer simulations of CSR dynamics in B cell populations, we addressed the following questions. How does the probability of CSR depend on the number of divisions that a cell has performed? How does the cell decide which isotype to switch to? Does this decision depend on the distance between the genes of the pre-switch and the post-switch isotype? Our results indicate that post-switch isotype choice may be determined indirectly by the probabilities of division (which is fixed) and of switching per division (which increases as a function of the number of divisions that a cell performs), and more directly by a bias in the choice of the post-switch C gene segment towards those proximal to the pre-switch C gene.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 15-32 |
Number of pages | 18 |
Journal | Bulletin of Mathematical Biology |
Volume | 67 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 2005 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:The authors are grateful to Ms Hanna Edelman for assistance with graphics, and to Yehuda Maler for work on an earlier version of the simulation. The work was supported in part by Israel Science Foundation grant number 759/01-1, a Human Frontiers Science Program grant, The Yigal Alon Fellowship, and a Bar-Ilan University internal grant (to R. Mehr).
Funding
The authors are grateful to Ms Hanna Edelman for assistance with graphics, and to Yehuda Maler for work on an earlier version of the simulation. The work was supported in part by Israel Science Foundation grant number 759/01-1, a Human Frontiers Science Program grant, The Yigal Alon Fellowship, and a Bar-Ilan University internal grant (to R. Mehr).
Funders | Funder number |
---|---|
Human Frontiers Science Program | |
Yigal Alon Fellowship | |
Bar-Ilan University | |
Israel Science Foundation | 759/01-1 |