title: Genomic organization and expression of immunoglobulin genes in the Chinese hamster (Cricetulus griseus).
abstract: In science, the hamsters are widely used as a model for studying the human diseases because they display many features like humans. The utility of the Chinese hamster as a biology model can be further enhanced by further characterization of the genes encoding components of the immune system. Here, we report the genomic organization and expression of the Chinese hamster immunoglobulin heavy and light chain genes. The Chinese hamster IgH locus contains 268 VH segments (132 potentially functional genes, 12 ORFs and 124 pseudogenes), 4 DH segments, 6 JH segments, four constant region genes (μ, γ, ε and α) and one reverse δ remnant fragment. The Igκ locus contains only a single Cκ gene, 4 Jκ segments and 48 Vκ segments (15 potentially functional genes and 33 pseudogenes), whereas the Igλ locus contains 4 Cλ genes, but only Cλ 3 and Cλ 4 each preceded by a Jλ gene segment. A total of 49 Vλ segments (39 potentially functional genes, 3 ORFs and 7 pseudogenes) were identified. Analysis of junctions of the recombined V(D)J transcripts reveals complex diversity in both expressed H and κ sequences, but the microhomology-directed VJ recombination obviously results in very limited diversity in the Chinese hamster λ gene despite more potential germline-encoded combinatorial diversity. This is the first study to make a comprehensive analysis of the Ig genes in the Chinese hamster, which provides insights into the Ig genes in placental mammals.
authors.affiliation: Embryo Biotechnology and Reproduction Laboratory, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Du
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D006224:Cricetinae; D003412:Cricetulus / Q000235:genetics*; D015870:Gene Expression; D005803:Genes, Immunoglobulin; D014644:Genetic Variation; D016678:Genome; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region / Q000235:genetics*; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D060152:V(D)J Recombination / Q000235:genetics*; D050441:VDJ Exons / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: C014609:IgK; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region; D007136:Immunoglobulins