Abstract
A major activity of a pre-B lymphocyte is the stepwise rearrangement of immunoglobulin heavy and light chain genes. When a pre-B cell has successfully completed the process of rearrangement at both heavy and light chain loci, this dividing lymphocyte undergoes a cellular transition into a mature B cell whereby it stops dividing and expresses membrane immunoglobulin tetramers (μm2L2) on its surface which will function as the antigen receptor. The process of rearrangement is of central importance to the generation of immunological diversity. However, it is imperative that in any given lymphocyte only a single heavy chain allele be productively rearranged (allelic exclusion), and that only a single κ or λ light chain allele be correctly rearranged (allelic and isotypic exclusion). These processes of allelic and isotypic exclusion are unique to the immune system and ensure that any lymphoid clone expresses only a single antigen receptor.
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