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  • Title: Clonal selection and learning in the antibody system.
    Author: Rajewsky K.
    Journal: Nature; 1996 Jun 27; 381(6585):751-8. PubMed ID: 8657279.
    Abstract:
    Each antibody-producing B cell makes antibodies of unique specificity, reflecting a series of ordered gene rearrangements which must be successfully performed if the cell is to survive. A second selection process occurs during immune responses in which a new antibody repertoire is generated through somatic hypermutation. Here only mutants binding antigen with high affinity survive to become memory cells. Cells expressing autoreactive receptors are counter-selected at both stages. This stringent positive and negative selection allows the generation and diversification of cells while rigorously controlling their specificity.
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