"Scientists Find Gene That Triggers Formation of Different"

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1989. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

"Scientists Find Gene That Triggers Formation of Different"

Wall Street Journal (12/22/89), P. B3
Stipp, David

Abstract: A team of researchers led by Nobel Laureate David Baltimore report that they have identified a gene that triggers the immune system's formation of different antibodies. At the Whitehead Institute of Biomedical Research, Baltimore and his colleagues say they have identified a single genetic master switch, called recombination activating gene No. 1, or RAG-1. The gene, either directly or through intermediary genes, triggersa gene-shuffling process that creates the antibodies and receptors the immune system uses to identify and attack foreign microbes. The discovery provides an invaluable tool for studyingimmune functions. In a separate discovery, Whitehead Institute and Johns Hopkins University researchers say they have discoveredthat a previously discovered protein produced by HIV may play an unexpected role in the progression of AIDS. The transactivator, or TAT, gene, known to amplify production of the virus in infected cells, also may impair the ability of white blood cells to fight invading microbes, Alan D. Frankel and colleagues report. Related Stories: NYT (12/22) P. A28; WP (12/22) P. A12

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