Organization of the Ig VH locus in mice and humans.

In order to assess the contribution of the germline VH gene repertoire to antibody diversity, many groups have studied the evolution and the organization of the immunoglobulin VH gene locus in mice and humans. Here, Ulrich Krawinkel, Thomas Christoph and Thomas Blankenstein review recent data on this subject and discuss the potential influence of gene organization on the activation of the VH gene repertoire during the development of the mammalian immune system.