title: Structure of a germline rabbit immunoglobulin V kappa-region gene: implications for rabbit V kappa-J kappa recombination.
abstract: Rabbit kappa-immunoglobulin chains exhibit diversity in the number of amino acids between the invariant residues Cys 88 and Phe 98; this length diversity is formally similar to that found in the human and mouse heavy chain systems, in which it results from interposition of the D element between V and J. To explore the molecular basis for this length diversity in rabbit kappa-chains we have determined the nucleotide sequence of a rabbit germline V kappa immunoglobulin gene. The spacing between the 7-mer and 9-mer signal elements of this gene suggest that it could recombine with J kappa without a D element. We discuss alternative explanations for the length diversity of rabbit kappa-chains.
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000916:Antibody Diversity; D001483:Base Sequence; D006801:Humans; D007144:Immunoglobulin J-Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D011817:Rabbits; D011995:Recombination, Genetic
chemical_list: D007144:Immunoglobulin J-Chains; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains