GermlineSegmente
GermlineSegmente is a term used to describe DNA segments that reside in the germline genome and are inherited by offspring. In the context of adaptive immunity, these germline segments provide the donor material for somatic rearrangement that generates diverse antigen receptor genes in B and T lymphocytes. The most well-known germline segments are the variable (V), diversity (D), and joining (J) segments found at immunoglobulin and T-cell receptor loci.
Germline segments are organized in loci that contain many V segments upstream of a smaller number of
Somatic recombination reassembles selected germline V, D, and J segments in developing B and T cells. RAG1
Functional and evolutionary considerations
Many germline segments are nonfunctional pseudogenes. The repertoire of functional segments, their arrangement, and the level