Involvement of immunoglobulin heavy- and light-chain (χ) gene clusters in a human B-cell translocation, t(2;14)

Abstract

The breakpoints of a translocation, t(2;14)(p 11;q32), detected in an Epstein-Barr virus-transformed lymphoid B-cell line were mapped by Southern analysis, field-inversion gel electrophoresis, and in situ hybridisation. The translocation involved the immunoglobulin light-chain (χ) locus on chromosome 2 and the heavy-chain locus on chromosome 14. The breakpoint on chromosome 2 was between Vk and Cĸ, most likely within Jĸ. The chromosome 14 break was located within the VH cluster, no more than 220 kb 5’ of the productively rearranged JH locus. The translocation probably resulted from an aberrant rearrangement of the χ light-chain genes.