Abstract
We studied the organization, diversification and clinical significance of the immunoglobulin light chain (IgL) variable region genes expressed in 17 κ-chain and 16 λ-chain producing multiple myeloma (MM) samples. The V genes from 31 MM samples had over 84.9% homology to the known germline Vκ/λ genes, whereas one Vκ and one Vλ gene had only 75.5% and 65.9% homology, respectively. While all five Jκ segments were equally used, only Jλ-1 or Jλ-2/3 was used among seven Jλ segments. N nucleotide addition was found at two Vκ-Jκ and five Vλ-Jλ junctions. The λ-chain complementarity determining region (CDR)-3 was longer and more variable than the κ-chain CDR-3 mainly due to junctional flexibility of Vλ and Jλ segments. Somatic mutations were more frequent in the Jλ than the Jκ segments, and were distributed in the CDR-3 as well as the frame work region (FWR)-4. Those of the Jκ segments, however, were limited to FWR-4. In FWR-4, replacement mutations were clustered at codon 106 of κ-chain and 103 of λ-chain. Thus nucleotide mutation or conservation was dependent on position, indicating a structural necessity of IgL for the development of myeloma cells in addition to a non-random distribution of mutations. There was no characteristic IgL sequence according to the isotype of M-protein, clinical stage or renal complication.
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Kiyoi, H., Naito, K., Ohno, R. et al. Characterization of the immunoglobulin light chain variable region gene expressed in multiple myeloma. Leukemia 12, 601–609 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.leu.2400972
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.leu.2400972
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