AID (AICDA)

Type

Gene (protein-coding, cytidine deaminase)

Description

AID (Activation-Induced Cytidine Deaminase, gene symbol AICDA) is the ancestral member of the AID/APOBEC family of DNA cytosine deaminases. Unlike other family members, AID has a well-defined physiological function: it is essential for somatic hypermutation and class-switch recombination in B cells by deaminating cytosine to uracil at immunoglobulin loci. Aberrant AID activity causes off-target mutations and chromosomal translocations (e.g., c-myc/IgH in Burkitt lymphoma). AID is the founding member that established the biochemical mechanism (C→U deamination on ssDNA) subsequently found in all APOBEC3 family members.

External identifiers

• HGNC: 17130
• NCBI Gene: 57379
• UniProt: Q9GZX7

Wiki sources

• conticello2008-aid-apobec-family — AID/APOBEC family evolution and classification
• burns2014-apobec3b-pathological-consequences — AID as proof-of-principle for DNA deaminase-mediated mutagenesis in cancer