Two Unusual Human Immunoglobulin VκGenes

Abstract
The V.kappa. genes A10 and A14 which have been previously localized within the human .kappa. locus were analyzed now. A10 hybridizes under stringent conditions only weakly or not at all to probes characteristic for the four V.kappa. subgroups. According to their DNA sequences and the derived amino-acid sequences A10 and A14 do not fit well into the subgroup classification. They seem to be about as closely related to the subgroup I and III genes and less related to those of subgroups II and IV. Hybridization experiments indicate that A10 and A14 belong to a small V.kappa. gene family. After discussing the various features of the sequences we suggest neither to assign A10 and A14 to one of the existing subgroups nor to establish a new one but to apply to them the subgroup designation N which may be changed when all V.kappa. genes are known and can be classified together.