HOW UNIQUE ARE PATHOGENIC ANTI-DNA AUTOANTIBODY V-REGIONS

Unique characteristics of the molecular structure of V regions encoding pathogenic anti-DNA autoantibodies have become apparent upon comparison of a large number of nucleotide sequences encoding this autospecificity. Moreover, the generation of transgenic animals expressing V regions encoding anti-DNA autoantibodies has shed light on the tolerizing mechanisms that regulate B cells producing antibodies against DNA.