title: Nucleotide sequence of a cDNA clone encoding a rabbit immunoglobulin-lambda light chain: the V lambda region differs markedly from that of other species.
abstract: A cDNA clone (pDH7) has been isolated which encodes the entire leader peptide and variable (V) region and most of the constant (C) region of a rabbit lambda-light chain. Although similar to amino acid sequences derived from fragments of isolated lambda-chains from several Basilea rabbits, differences in the first framework region (FR1) suggest that at least two germ-line V lambda genes are expressed. There are major differences between rabbit V lambda sequences and light chains of other species: in particular, rabbit lambda-chains have an additional four amino acids in the vicinity of the FR2-CDR2 junction. The same region also has significant homology with the human D2 germ-line mini-gene sequence, especially with a 14-nucleotide sequence previously shown to be homologous to human and rabbit heavy chain CDR2 sequences. Similar homologies in other heavy and light chain sequences suggest that D-gene segments may be derived from VH genes, perhaps by transposition. The framework regions of the rabbit lambda-chain encoded by clone pDH7 show the greatest homologies with those of human kappa- and lambda-sequences (46 to 54% homology), with that of chicken sequence (55%), and least with murine V lambda sequences (40%).
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D007127:Immunoglobulin Constant Regions / Q000235:genetics*; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region / Q000235:genetics*; D007146:Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000235:genetics*; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011817:Rabbits
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D007127:Immunoglobulin Constant Regions; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region; D007146:Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D004247:DNA