title: Immunoglobulin variable region genes.
abstract: The picture that emerges of a V gene locus, albeit still sketchy, is one of a continuously evolving region, subject on occasion to quite dramatic flux due to the operation of gene conversion, transposing elements, recombination and unequal crossing over. The V genes are separated by surprisingly large tracts of DNA of unknown function which are 'littered' by a number of simple-sequence and moderately repetitive elements. The diversity of immunoglobulins is in part accounted for by selection operating on multiple germline genes: 100-300 for mouse VK and VH, but probably less for human VK and VH. Somatic recombinational and mutational mechanisms play a substantial role in increasing the diversity still further.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D002872:Chromosome Deletion; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D004274:DNA, Recombinant; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D005796:Genes; D006801:Humans; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region / Q000235:genetics*; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains / Q000235:genetics; D007146:Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D009154:Mutation; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic
chemical_list: D004274:DNA, Recombinant; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains; D007146:Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains