title: Two pseudogenes among three rat immunoglobulin lambda chain genes.
abstract: In order to examine the number and organization of the immunoglobulin lambda light chain genes of the rat, we have used mouse lambda chain cDNA probes to isolate hybridizing fragments from a partial EcoRI rat liver DNA library. We have determined the partial nucleotide sequence of two such clones. One clone, containing a 5.8 kb EcoRI insert which hybridizes to both mouse C lambda 1 and C lambda 2 probes, includes an apparently expressible C lambda 2-like gene as well as a C lambda 1-like pseudogene (psi C lambda 1.1), arranged similarly to the mouse C lambda gene complexes. Sequence analysis of a second cloned EcoRI fragment (1.15 kb in length) revealed part of a second C lambda 1-like pseudogene (psi C lambda 1.2), the coding regions of both pseudogenes being interrupted by multiple frame-shifting size differences. In the case of psi C lambda 1.2, the degree of sequence identity with mouse C lambda 1 drops abruptly immediately following the termination codon, suggesting that translocation events have played a role in its generation. These two rat pseudogenes, and the mouse C lambda 4 pseudogene, clearly have been rendered unexpressible by separate evolutionary events. Comparisons between C lambda coding and non-coding regions of rats and mice indicate that some of the unusual patterns of divergence we have observed in recently diverged Ck genes may exist in C lambda genes as well.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Irvine 92717.
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Frank
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Gutman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D005075:Biological Evolution; D005803:Genes, Immunoglobulin; D007146:Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011544:Pseudogenes; D051381:Rats / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007146:Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains