The sequences of rabbit kappa light chains of b4 and b5 allotypes differ more in their constant regions than in their 3' untranslated regions.
We report the sequence of a cDNA clone encoding the entire variable and constant regions of a rabbit kappa light chain of b5 allotype. The deduced amino acid sequence of the variable region (positions 1-95) is 86% homologous to that of a b4 light chain protein [BS-1) (1) but the b4 and b5 constant regions are only 74% homologous. Comparison of this DNA sequence to that of a cDNA clone encoding a b4 constant region shows that the kappa allotypes b4 and b5 have diverged significantly more in their coding region than in the 3' untranslated regions (86% vs 96% nucleotide sequence homologies). This implies either a function for the 3' untranslated region with evolutionary pressures to conserve or an accelerated divergence of the coding regions.
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis*; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes; D005796:Genes; D007126:Immunoglobulin Allotypes / Q000235:genetics*; D007127:Immunoglobulin Constant Regions / Q000235:genetics*; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000235:genetics*; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D011817:Rabbits
D007126:Immunoglobulin Allotypes; D007127:Immunoglobulin Constant Regions; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains; D007136:Immunoglobulins; C496591:kappa allotype b4, rabbits; D004247:DNA; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes