SEQUENCES AT THE SOMATIC RECOMBINATION SITES OF IMMUNOGLOBULIN LIGHT-CHAIN GENES

The entire nucleotide sequence of a 1.7-kilobase embryonic DNA fragment containing five joining (J) DNA segments for mouse immunoglobulin [~amp]kappa; chain gene has been determined. Each J DNA segment can encode amino acid residues 96-108. Comparison of one of the five J DNA sequences with those of an embryonic variable (V) gene and a complete [~amp]kappa; chain gene permitted localisation of a precise recombination site. The 5[~amp]prime;-flanking regions of J DNA segments could form an inverted stem structure with the 3[~amp]prime;-non-coding region of embryonic V genes. This hypothetical structure and gel-blotting analysis of total embryo and myeloma DNA suggest that the somatic recombination may be accompanied by excision of an entire DNA segment between a V gene and a J DNA segment. Antibody diversity may in part be generated by modulation of the precise recombination sites. © 1979 Nature Publishing Group.