“From RAG to NHEJ: Splicing Together Our Adaptive Immune System”

V(D)J recombination is essential for generating the adaptive immune response and unlimited number of different antibodies and antigen receptors. Encoded by multiple V, D and J gene segments, antigen receptors are assembled by programmed double-stranded DNA cleavage and imprecise re-joining. In this seminar I will report the molecular mechanism of DNA cleavage by RAG1/2, activation of Artemis nuclease by autophosphorylated DNA-PKcs, and molecular assemblies and coordinated reactions in NHEJ.