Rearrangement of genetic information may produce immunoglobulin diversity

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The nearly complete amino-acid sequences of 22 closely related immunoglobulin κ variable (Vκ) regions from the inbred NZB mouse are presented. This group of Vκ regions is encoded by at least six germline Vκ genes. These data also suggest that the mouse κ gene is divided into three segments termed V or variable (residues 1 to 98 or 99), J or joining (residues 99 or 100 to 112) and C or constant (residues 113–219). Tonegawa et al. have recently described a similar J segment for mouse λ chains. Inbred mice contain multiple Vκ and Jκ gene segments. Therefore, different combinations of V and J gene segments may be joined at the DNA level during the differentiation of individual lymphocytes to contribute to antibody diversity.