How do the variable portions of antibody genes look in cells which don't produce antibodies? There are several families of antibodies found in mammals. They may have two or more antibody domains which contain heavy and light chains. The variable regions of the light and heavy chains genes in the chromosome are spliced in antibody producing cells so that each cell produces a different antibody, with a unique sequence of amino acids in the variable regions. Here's a cartoon: !enter image description here The variable regions are disproportionately large here, but it gives some idea... What I'm having trouble finding is how the DNA regions of these genes look in cells which don't produce antibodies. Are they the same as that in the germline? Do they undergo recombination but are not expressed? Any help would be appreciated.

Perhaps you want to ask how VDJ recombination is regulated in non lymphoid cells..

Well even in immature lymphoid cells VDJ recombination is regulated. And also Ig genes are suppressed in T-cell and TCR genes are suppressed in B-cells.. Also, the recombination of Ig is suppressed in T-cell and vice-versa.

RAG-1,2(Recombination activating gene) downregulation partly does the job, but not fully.

Earlier reports say that transcription in the locus is essential and epigenetic regulation of transcription in turn regulates recombination. But what it exactly means is that accessibility to the RSS (Recombination signal sequences) is limited in a repressed chromatin and recent reports say that nucleosomes are appropriately positioned over the RSS to control recombination.

Have a look at these:

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