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Title: Immunoglobulin λ Gene Rearrangement Can Precede κ Gene Rearrangement

Abstract

Immunoglobulin genes are generated during differentiation of B lymphocytes by joining gene segments. A mouse pre-B cell contains a functional immunoglobulin heavy-chain gene, but no light-chain gene. Although there is only one heavy-chain locus, there are two lightchain loci: κ and λ .It has been reported that κ loci in the germ-line configuration are never (in man) or very rarely (in the mouse) present in cells with functionally rearranged λ -chain genes. Two explanations have been proposed to explain this: (a) the ordered rearrangement theory, which postulates that light-chain gene rearrangement in the pre-B cell is first attempted at the κ locus, and that only upon failure to produce a functional κ chain is there an attempt to rearrange the λ locus; and (b) the stochastic theory, which postulates that rearrangement at the λ locus proceeds at a rate that is intrinsically much slower than that at the κ locus. We show here that λ -chain genes are generated whether or not the κ locus has lost its germ-line arrangement, a result that is compatible only with the stochastic theory.

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. Department of Microbiology and Immulology, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143-0414, USA
Publication Date:
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1227786
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC03-76-SF01012
Resource Type:
Published Article
Journal Name:
Developmental Immunology
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Name: Developmental Immunology Journal Volume: 1 Journal Issue: 1; Journal ID: ISSN 1044-6672
Publisher:
Hindawi Publishing Corporation
Country of Publication:
Country unknown/Code not available
Language:
English

Citation Formats

Berg, Jörg, Mcdowell, Mindy, Jäck, Hans-Martin, and Wabl, Matthias. Immunoglobulin λ Gene Rearrangement Can Precede κ Gene Rearrangement. Country unknown/Code not available: N. p., 1990. Web. doi:10.1155/1990/56014.
Berg, Jörg, Mcdowell, Mindy, Jäck, Hans-Martin, & Wabl, Matthias. Immunoglobulin λ Gene Rearrangement Can Precede κ Gene Rearrangement. Country unknown/Code not available. https://doi.org/10.1155/1990/56014
Berg, Jörg, Mcdowell, Mindy, Jäck, Hans-Martin, and Wabl, Matthias. Mon . "Immunoglobulin λ Gene Rearrangement Can Precede κ Gene Rearrangement". Country unknown/Code not available. https://doi.org/10.1155/1990/56014.
@article{osti_1227786,
title = {Immunoglobulin λ Gene Rearrangement Can Precede κ Gene Rearrangement},
author = {Berg, Jörg and Mcdowell, Mindy and Jäck, Hans-Martin and Wabl, Matthias},
abstractNote = {Immunoglobulin genes are generated during differentiation of B lymphocytes by joining gene segments. A mouse pre-B cell contains a functional immunoglobulin heavy-chain gene, but no light-chain gene. Although there is only one heavy-chain locus, there are two lightchain loci: κ and λ .It has been reported that κ loci in the germ-line configuration are never (in man) or very rarely (in the mouse) present in cells with functionally rearranged λ -chain genes. Two explanations have been proposed to explain this: (a) the ordered rearrangement theory, which postulates that light-chain gene rearrangement in the pre-B cell is first attempted at the κ locus, and that only upon failure to produce a functional κ chain is there an attempt to rearrange the λ locus; and (b) the stochastic theory, which postulates that rearrangement at the λ locus proceeds at a rate that is intrinsically much slower than that at the κ locus. We show here that λ -chain genes are generated whether or not the κ locus has lost its germ-line arrangement, a result that is compatible only with the stochastic theory.},
doi = {10.1155/1990/56014},
journal = {Developmental Immunology},
number = 1,
volume = 1,
place = {Country unknown/Code not available},
year = {Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1990},
month = {Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1990}
}

Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
Publisher's Version of Record
https://doi.org/10.1155/1990/56014

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