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TY - JOUR AU - Klobeck, H.-G. AU - Solomon, A. AU - Zachau, H. G. PY - 1984 DA - 1984/05/01 TI - Contribution of human VκII germ-line genes to light-chain diversity JO - Nature SP - 73 EP - 76 VL - 309 IS - 5963 AB - The genetic basis of the antibody repertoire—estimated to exceed 106 different immunoglobulin molecules—is a major unanswered problem1,2. The number of germ-line Vκ genes in the mouse genome is probably several hundred3,4 while the corresponding number for three out of four human Vκ subgroups ( VκI, VκIII and VκIV) is probably altogether only 15–20 (ref. 5). The κII proteins differ significantly in sequence from the other κ-chain proteins6. To determine the contribution of VκII genes to κ-chain diversity, we searched for a human lymphoid cell line which produces a κ II chain and report here for the first time the sequence of a VκII gene. According to blot hybridizations with this Vκ gene as a probe, subgroup II contributes about half as many genes to the Vκ gene repertoire as are detected by a VκI probe. Therefore the repertoire is rather small which implies that somatic mutations7–9 or other mechanisms must play an important role in the generation of light-chain diversity in humans. SN - 1476-4687 UR - https://doi.org/10.1038/309073a0 DO - 10.1038/309073a0 ID - Klobeck1984 ER -