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Contribution of human VκII germ-line genes to light-chain diversity

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Abstract

The genetic basis of the antibody repertoire—estimated to exceed 106 different immunoglobulin molecules—is a major unanswered problem1,2. The number of germ-line Vκ genes in the mouse genome is probably several hundred3,4 while the corresponding number for three out of four human Vκ subgroups ( VκI, VκIII and VκIV) is probably altogether only 15–20 (ref. 5). The κII proteins differ significantly in sequence from the other κ-chain proteins6. To determine the contribution of VκII genes to κ-chain diversity, we searched for a human lymphoid cell line which produces a κ II chain and report here for the first time the sequence of a VκII gene. According to blot hybridizations with this Vκ gene as a probe, subgroup II contributes about half as many genes to the Vκ gene repertoire as are detected by a VκI probe. Therefore the repertoire is rather small which implies that somatic mutations7–9 or other mechanisms must play an important role in the generation of light-chain diversity in humans.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Physiologische Chemie, Physikalische Biochemie und Zellbiologie der Universität München, FRG

    H.-G. Klobeck & H. G. Zachau

  2. Department of Medicine, University of Tennessee Memorial Research Center and Hospital, Knoxville, Tennessee, 37920, USA

    A. Solomon

Authors
  1. H.-G. Klobeck
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  2. A. Solomon
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  3. H. G. Zachau
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Klobeck, HG., Solomon, A. & Zachau, H. Contribution of human VκII germ-line genes to light-chain diversity. Nature 309, 73–76 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1038/309073a0

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