Sequence of a mouse germ-line gene for a variable region of an immunoglobulin light chain.

Abstract

The DNA sequence of a germ-line gene for the variable region of a mouse immunoglobulin L chain, the V.lambda.II gene, was determined. The sequence confirms that the variable region gene lies on the DNA separated from the constant region. Hypervariable region codons appear in the germ-line sequence. A sequence for the hydrophobic leader, 19 amino acids that are cleaved from the amino terminus of the protein, appears near, but not continuous with, the L chain structural sequence. Most of the leader sequence is separated from the rest of the gene by 93 bases of untranslated DNA.