Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

Sequences at the somatic recombination sites of immunoglobulin light-chain genes

Abstract

The entire nucleotide sequence of a 1.7-kilobase embryonic DNA fragment containing five joining (J) DNA segments for mouse immunoglobulin κ 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 κ chain gene permitted localisation of a precise recombination site. The 5′-flanking regions of J DNA segments could form an inverted stem structure with the 3′-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.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Hozumi, N. & Tonegawa, S. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 73, 3628–3632 (1976).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Tonegawa, S., Hozumi, N., Matthyssens, G. & Schuller, R. Cold Spring Harb. Symp. quant. Biol. 41, 877–889 (1976).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Brack, C., Hirama, M., Schuller, R. & Tonegawa, S. Cell 15, 1–14 (1978).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Bernard, O., Hozumi, N. & Tonegawa, S. Cell 15, 1133–1144 (1978).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Tonegawa, S., Maxam, A. M., Tizard, R., Bernard, O. & Gilbert, W. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 74, 3171–3175 (1978).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Klessing, D. F. Cell 12, 9–21 (1977).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Berget, S. M., Moore, C. & Sharp, P. A. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 74, 3171–3175 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Lenhard-Schuller, R., Hohn, B., Brack, C., Hirama, M. & Tonegawa, S. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 74, 4709–4713 (1978).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  9. Brack, C. et al. (in preparation).

  10. McKean, D. J., Bell, M. & Potter, M. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 75, 3913–3917 (1978).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Weigert, M., Gatmaitan, L., Loh, E., Schilling, J. & Hood, L. Nature 276, 785–790 (1978).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Breathnach, R., Benoist, C., O'Hare, K., Cannon, F. & Chambon, P. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 75, 4853–4857 (1978).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Seidman, J. G. et al. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 75, 3881–3885 (1978).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Ohtsubo, H. & Ohtsubo, E. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 75, 615–619 (1978).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Grindley, N. D. F. Cell 13, 419–426 (1978).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Ohtsubo, H., Ohmori, H. & Ohtsubo, E. Cold Spring Harb. Symp. quant. Biol. 43 (in the press).

  17. Calos, M. P., Johnarud, L. & Miller, J. H. Cell 13, 411–418 (1978).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Allet, B. Cell 16, 123–129 (1979).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Oka, A., Nomura, N., Sugimoto, K., Sugisaki, H. & Takanami, M. Nature 276, 845–847 (1978).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Rosenberg, M., Court, D., Shimatake, H., Brady, C. & Wulff, D. L. Nature 272, 414–422 (1978).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Johnsrud, L., Calos, M. P. & Miller, J. H. Cell 15, 1209–1219 (1978).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Ghosal, D., Sommer, H. & Saedler, H. Nucleic Acids Res. 6, 1111–1122 (1979).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Hill, R. L., Delaney, R., Fellow, R. E. & Lebovitz, H. E. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 63, 1762–1768 (1966).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  24. Edelman, G. M. et al. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 63, 78–85 (1969).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Poljak, R. J. et al. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 70, 3305–3310 (1973).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Sakano, H. et al. Nature 277, 627–633 (1979).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Weigert, M. & Riblet, R. Cold Spring Harb. Symp. quant. Biol. 41, 837–846 (1976).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Valbuena, O., Marcu, K. B., Weigert, M. & Perry, R. P. Nature 276, 780–784 (1978).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Wu, T. T. & Kabat, E. A. J. exp. Med. 132, 211–250 (1970).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Tiemeier, D., Enquist, L. & Leder, P. Nature 263, 526–527 (1976).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Smith, H. O. & Birnstiel, M. L. Nucleic Acids Res. 3, 2387–2398 (1976).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Boliver, E. et al. Gene 2, 582–564 (1978).

  33. Maxam, A. & Gilbert, W. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 74, 560–564 (1978).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  34. Klenow, H., Hansen, K. & Patkar, S. A. Eur. J. Biochem. 22, 371–381 (1971).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Hill, R. L., Belamey, R., Fellows, R. E. & Lavovitz, H. E. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 56, 1762–1768 (1966).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Kleckner, N. Cell 16, 711–720 (1979).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sakano, H., Hüppi, K., Heinrich, G. et al. Sequences at the somatic recombination sites of immunoglobulin light-chain genes. Nature 280, 288–294 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1038/280288a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/280288a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing