Allelic forms of the immunoglobulin heavy chain variable region.
Open Access
- 1 May 1980
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in The Journal of Immunology
- Vol. 124 (5) , 2089-2092
- https://doi.org/10.4049/jimmunol.124.5.2089
Abstract
The complete variable region sequence of the heavy chain from a phosphorylcholine-binding myeloma protein of C57/BL allotype has been determined. When this sequence was compared with the germ line-coded heavy chain variable region sequence of BALB/c phosphorylcholine-binding proteins, five differences were observed. Four of the substitutions were located in the framework portion of the variable region and the fifth in the "J" or joining segment. Two of the framework substitutions were found at positions 14 and 16. Previous studies have shown that heavy chains from all anti-phosphorylcholine antibodies induced in C57/BL mice have the same amino acids at positions 14 and 16 as the C57/BL myeloma protein described in this communication. It has therefore been concluded that these residues are encoded in the C57/BL germ line in contrast to two alternatives in the BALB/c genome. This finding, in addition to the 96% homology found between the C57/BL and BALB/c sequences, suggests that these structures represent allelic forms of an entire variable region.This publication has 3 references indexed in Scilit:
- Sequences of five potential recombination sites encoded close to an immunoglobulin kappa constant region gene.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 1979
- Sequences at the somatic recombination sites of immunoglobulin light-chain genesNature, 1979
- Size differences among immunoglobulin heavy chains from phosphorylcholine-binding proteins.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 1976