[Molecular mechanisms for immunoglobulin class switching and IgE production].
Immunoglobulin (Ig) E, which causes the immediate allergic reaction, is produced by B lymphocytes through the class switching. Constant (C) region gene for epsilon heavy (H) chain is lying between C gamma and C alpha genes. Upon stimulation germline forms of the target CH genes of the class switch recombination are first specifically transcribed and spliced to form the germline transcripts in which upstream and downstream of the recombination target region (S region) are joined. These transcription and splicing are essential for class switching. Then, the second isotype Ig is simultaneously expressed with IgM most likely by trans-splicing. This process might be a regulatable intermediate. Finally, DNA recombination between S regions leads the CH genes lying in-between to looping-out deletion.