title: Sequence and evolution of the human germline V lambda repertoire.
abstract: We recently completed a map of the human immunoglobulin lambda (IGL) locus on chromosome 22q11.2 and showed that the V lambda genes are arranged in three distinct clusters, each containing members of different V lambda families. We have now sequenced each of these V lambda genes and determined which are functional by comparison with the expressed repertoire. Our analysis indicates that there are approximately 30 functional V lambda genes, depending on the haplotype, that belong to ten V lambda families (five V lambda 1, five V lambda 2, eight V lambda 3, three V lambda 4, three V lambda 5, one V lambda 6, two V lambda 7, one V lambda 8, one V lambda 9 and one V lambda 10). V lambda genes related to the major human V lambda families (V lambda 1, V lambda 2 and V lambda 3) predominate in species that express mainly lambda light chains.
authors.affiliation: MRC Centre for Protein Engineering Hills Road, Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Frippiat
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Tomlinson
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ignatovich
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Lefranc
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Winter
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D004247:DNA; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005854:Germ Cells; D006801:Humans; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D007146:Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region; D007146:Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains; D004247:DNA