Schematic description of the genes corresponding to the variable (V) and constant (C) regions of the Heavy (H) and Light (L) chains of a typical immunoglobulin (IgG here).
Gene recombination between D-J and V-D in the heavy chain, and between V-J in the light chain, uses association between particular base heptamers and octamers.
Schematic description of various expressions of immunoglobulins: - expression of membrane IgM; - expression of membrane IgM and IgD; - alternative expression of membrane and secreted IgM; - expression of IgG, IgA and IgE by Ig class, or isotype, switching.
Schematic description of a replication process (inspired from E. coli replication): bottom : DNA leading strand; top : DNA lagging strand. On the lagging strand, successive RNA primers are synthesized by : - (primase + helicase) in E. coli; - (primase + DNA Pol alpha) in eukaryotes. The leading strand is then extended by : - DNA Pol III in E. coli; - DNA Pol delta in eukaryotes. The lagging strand is extended by : - DNA Pol III in E. coli; - (primase + DNA Pol alpha) or DNA Pol delta in eukaryotes ?