Regulation of activation induced deaminase via phosphorylation.

Immunoglobulin gene diversification by somatic hypermutation (SHM), class switch recombination (CSR), and gene conversion is dependent upon activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID). AID is a single-stranded DNA specific cytidine deaminase that is expressed primarily in activated mature B lymphocytes. AID appears to catalyze DNA cytidine deamination of immunoglobulin heavy (IgH) and light chain (IgL) variable region (V) exons and IgH switch (S) region sequences to initiate, respectively, IgH and IgL somatic hypermutation (SHM) and IgH class switch recombination (CSR). Here, we will discuss the implications of recent studies that demonstrate the role of AID phosphorylation in augmenting AID activity with respect to these two processes.