Deletion of immunoglobulin heavy chain genes from expressed allelic chromosome

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Abstract
We have studied the organization of immunoglobulin heavy-chain genes in a γ2b-chain (BALB/c allotype)-producing myeloma BKC F1 #15 induced in a F1 mouse between C57BL and BALB/c. Southern blot hybridization studies using cloned μ, γ1 and γ2b-chain genes as probes demonstrate that the μ- and γ1-chain genes of the expressed chromosome are deleted while these genes of the unexpressed chromosome are retained. The γ2b-chain gene of the expressed allele is rearranged while that gene of the unexpressed allele seems unchanged, as do the γ2a-chain genes. These results support the allelic deletion mechanism in heavy-chain class switch and the order of H chain genes.