Heavy-chain class switch does not terminate somatic mutation.

We studied the H-chain class switch rearrangement in four groups of clonally related B cell hybridomas, to test the hypothesis that class switch terminates somatic mutation in a B cell. Using switch region-specific probes in Southern blot analysis individual mu-gamma switch rearrangement events can be distinguished. We show that clonally related IgG-producing hybridomas that differ by mutations often share a common switch rearrangement. This indicates that class switch in these cells did not terminate somatic mutation.