Page 1191 - Veterinary Immunology, 10th Edition
P. 1191
both nonfunctional and autoreactive antigen receptors. Once a
VetBooks.ir complete antigen receptor is formed, however, rearrangement of
the cell's receptor genes continues. Thus if an immature B cell
produces a receptor that binds to a self-antigen, the continuing
development of that B cell is blocked while its light chain receptor
chains continue to undergo recombination. This replacement of one
light chain by another leads to changes in receptor specificity and
eventually makes the cells no longer autoreactive. Receptor editing
only occurs in immature B cells. Mature B cells that bind
autoantigens do not undergo receptor editing but rather are
triggered to undergo apoptosis.
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