Antibody diversity is due to variable splicing, which is why a relatively few genes can produce the diversity of antibodies our bodies make.

a. Diagram the two transesterification reactions required to splice out an intron located between two exons (exon 1 and exon 2). In your drawing include the 2-OH of the branchpoint A, the newly formed 3-OH and use O-P-O for the phosphodiester bonds involved in both transesterification reactions. Show the five intron consensus sequences on the lariat that is formed during splicing.

b. Describe the roles of U1, U2 and U5 snRNPs in the above reaction.

c. An immunoglobulin, the generic term of an antibody, is composed of a variable segment, joining segment, and constant region. There are 30-35 variable segments and 5 joining segments. What type of splicing would yield the final immunoglobulin chain? Diagram the process