Somatic hypermutation

As somatic hypermutation inserting mutations into the antibody genes of maturing B- cell is called. This is an important step of the adaptive immune system. With the help of the enzyme cytidine deaminase Induced Activation (AID or AICDA ) caused random changes in the DNA, which in some cases leads to increased affinity of the antibody to its antigen. By selecting those cells are selected that best bind the antigen and thus can fight it most effectively. The remaining cells perish. This process, which takes place in the germinal centers of secondary lymphoid organs (spleen, lymph nodes), it enables the organism to a variety of different antibodies to produce, and thus to adapt in the course of an immune evasion changing pathogens as well as the affinity of the antibody for to increase antigen.