Cloning and sequencing of human immunoglobulin λ. gene segments

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Abstract
To provide the building blocks for making synthetic antibody fragments we have used the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to clone human variable (V) gene segments of λ light chains. The PCR primers were based on the sequences of known human Vλ segments, and were used to isolate 14 new Vλ segments (including 4 pseudogenes) from a single individual. We have compiled a sequence directory from this data and other sources to include all known human Vλ segments with open reading frames and we have identified a new Vx family (Vλ IX). Almost all of the segments (22/24) have different sequences in the complementarity‐determining regions, setting a lower limit to the structural diversity of the antigen binding sites encoded by human Vλ genes in the human population.