Control of immunoglobulin gene rearrangements in developing B cells

The antigen receptor on B lymphocytes is the product of a series of gene rearrangements which ends when a functional receptor gene is assembled. Recent work has shown that the receptor-associated molecules Igα and Igβ provide the signals that lead to inhibition of further recombination. Furthermore, Igβ has been implicated in initiating the last step of the recombination reaction.