5' flanking region of immunoglobulin heavy chain constant region genes displays length heterogeneity in germlines of inbred mouse strains.
Genomic Southern blotting analysis reveals that a 5' flanking DNA sequence located 1.5-2.0 kb upstream from the C mu and C alpha genes undergoes extensive length variation in the germlines of inbred and wild mice. In addition, genomic clones of the BALB/c C mu gene undergo deletion events during their propagation in Charon 4A when maintained in RecA+ bacterial strains. These deletion events occur between the JH cluster and the C mu gene and approximately 2.0 kb 5' of the C alpha gene, and may encompass several kb of DNA. Deletion events are capable of yielding a group of C mu clones which differ in size by units of 100-200 bp. The site of length variation in the mouse germline corresponds to the location of these cloning-derived deletion events, suggesting that both phenomena are reflections of intrinsic genetic properties of these Ig gene 5' flanking sequences.
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics*; D005796:Genes; D007127:Immunoglobulin Constant Regions / Q000235:genetics*; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D007137:Immunoglobulin alpha-Chains / Q000235:genetics; D007148:Immunoglobulin mu-Chains / Q000235:genetics; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C
D007127:Immunoglobulin Constant Regions; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D007137:Immunoglobulin alpha-Chains; D007148:Immunoglobulin mu-Chains; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D004247:DNA