The RAG complex protein is composed of two subunits, RAG-1 and RAG-2. RAG-1 and RAG-2 are critical in T and B cell maturation, promoting an adaptive immune response.
Function
This RAG complex protein allows the human body to have diverse immune response. Using both RAG-1 and RAG-2 together allows for recombination to occur to create cell receptors on both B and T cells. It is critical that the cell receptors are diverse in order to recognize a wide variety of pathogens and protect the body. RAG-1 and RAG-2 appear in the body as a complex. Both RAG-1 and RAG-2 are necessary for the function of the protein. RAG-1 cannot perform all of the functions by itself associated with the RAG protein; similarly, RAG-2 cannot perform all of the functions alone. The RAG-1 protein will bind to a specific recombination signal sequence within the V-J region of the light chain and the D-J segment along with the V-DJ segment of a heavy chain. Next, RAG-1 will bring the various segments within close proximity, looping the DNA between the segments out. RAG-2 will then cut the RSS sequence and a different protein will bind the two DNA ends.
Disease
Relevance
This protein is predominantly important during the B and T cell development. Because humans need to be well-protected from antigens, B cells and T cells must have a variety of proteins on their surface in order to recognize a variety of invaders. Causing these proteins to become diverse involves a series of segments known as Variable (V), Diversity (D), and Joining (J) segments. These segments can be arranged in many combinations of sequences that ensure variable surface proteins. Without the RAG protein, B and T cells would lack the ability to identify and destroy foreign pathogens
Structural highlights
found in RAG complex
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