Abstract
The improvement of the molecular recognition takes place in the maturation process. This chapter describes the development in the study of the maturation of the response in the mouse. The driving force of affinity maturation in mice is somatic hypermutation; the molecular bases of this process remain unidentified, but the features strongly suggest a highly specialized function, which may have appeared very recently in evolution. It is possible that the molecular basis of affinity maturation in every species is of a different nature. Various proposed methods of analysis of somatic hypermutation along with their advantages and disadvantages are also discussed. Hypermutation occurs following a change in the differentiation state of antigen-stimulated cells. The analysis of hypermutation of transgenes is based on direct amplification and cloning of the transgene from Peyer's patches germinal center cells. Therefore, antigen selection is capable of extremely efficient evolution of improved variants. The selection also allows scope for the survival and emergence of antibodies with lower affinity, which provides the raw material for the best antibodies.
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