Gene Expression in Animal Development

Contents: 1. Nuclear transplantation and somatic cell genes. 2.  Translational control and message-injection into living cells. 3. Gene transcription and the initiation of cell differentiation. 4. General conclusions.  Appendix. Glossary. References and author Index. Subject index.

During the past ten years, several theories have been proposed on the origin of the diversity of antibodies. This book presents a critical study  of these theories in a detailed treatment of immunological problems from the point of view of molecular genetics.

The text in the book uses a new and simplifying approach to this long-standing controversy. By a computerized analysis of antibody amino acid sequences (particularly the myeloma proteins), the authors trace their evolution and match their results against the expectations of the various theories of diversity. They discuss at length the other types of evidence as well. This book also deals with the clonal specialization of cells to produce a single antibody, and the relationship of this specialization to the somatic joining of antibody half-genes, which is one of the immune system’s most important peculiarities.

Introductory material is provided to make this work understandable to molecular geneticists not versed in immunology and to immunologists not versed in molecular genetics. This is a timely book offering a succinct and coherent summary of the various lines of evidence in a confused and controversial field.