A rearranged DNA sequence possibly related to the translocation of immunoglobulin gene segments.

A 5.3 kb EcoRI fragment (T3, abbreviations in ref. 2) has been cloned from DNA of a kappa light chain producing mouse myeloma. The fragment hybridizes to the k' flanking sequences of the J1 gene segment but not to C gene sequences of kappa light chain DNA. Restriction nuclease mapping and partial nucleotide sequencing showed that the fragment consists of sequences from the 5' side of the J1 and form the 3' side of a V gene segment, which apparently had been linked in a genomic rearrangement process. These rearranged flanking sequences are not the flanking sequences of the V and J gene segments which had been joined to form the two kappa light chain genes of the myeloma. Fragments with the hybridization properties of T3 have been found also in two other kappa and one lambda chain producing myelomas. The linking of flanking sequences in the myeloma genome is discussed with respect to the mechanism of recombination between V and J gene segments.     

A linkage map of the mouse immunoglobulin lambda light chain locus

The mouse immunoglobulin lambda light chain locus has been linked using field inversion gel electrophoresis. The lambda light chain locus classically contains two V and four J-C gene segments in inbred mouse strains, and was physically mapped in the BALB/c cell line Wehi-3 which contains unrearranged lambda light chain gene segments. The locus is relatively small and spans 300 kb, as defined by a variety of single and double digests using methylation-sensitive restriction enzymes. The order of the lambda gene segments is V2-J2C2J4C4-V1-J3C3J1C1, as was originally proposed. No evidence for nonmethylated CpG rich areas (HTF islands) within the region was found. Fine mapping using the 1, 3 rearranged cell line J558 mapped the gap between the V and J-C gene segments in the lambda 1 gene cluster (VI-J3C3JIC1) to approximately 70 kb. The similar distance (60–100 kb) found in the lambda 2 gene cluster (V2-J2C2J4C4) is further evidence that duplication of an ancestral locus occurred.     

Cloning of immunoglobulin kappa light chain genes from mouse liver and myeloma MOPC 173

The organization of the kappa chain constant region gene was compared in DNA from an immunoglobulin-producing mouse myeloma (MOPC 173) and from liver. In situ hybridization using the Southern blotting technique revealed constant region gene-containing EcoRI-DNA fragments of 14 and 20 kb in the myeloma tissue whereas one EcoRI-DNA fragment with a length of 15 kb was found in liver DNA. After enrichment by RPC-5 chromatography and preparative electrophoresis the 14 kb fragment from MOPC 173 DNA and the 15 kb fragment from liver DNA were cloned in the bacteriophage lambda vector Charon 4A using in vitro packaging. Extensive characterization of the two fragments by restriction endonuclease mapping, in situ hybridization, and electron microscopy (R-loop and heteroduplex) showed that both fragments contain the constant region but no MOPC 173 variable region gene. Both fragments are homologous over a length of 12.5 kb including the constant region but differ from one another starting about 2.7 kb from the 5' end of the constant region gene. This indicates that the 14 kb EcoRI-DNA fragment from the myeloma tissue clearly resulted from somatic DNA rearrangement although it does not seem to carry the MOPC 173 variable region gene. These observations suggest that somatic DNA rearrangement of immunoglobulin light chain genes can involve both homologous chromosomes.Images     

Two rearranged immunoglobulin kappa light chain genes in one mouse myeloma.

The organization of immunoglobulin gene segments coding for kappa light chains has been studied in uncloned and cloned DNA from mouse liver and a mouse myeloma. It is known that the C (constant, ref. 2) gene segment is present in the tumor DNA on two EcoRI fragments of 14 and 20 kb and in liver DNA on a 15 kb fragment. The 14 kb myeloma and the 15 kb liver fragment have been cloned previously. Here we report on the cloning of the 20 kb myeloma fragment and present detailed restriction maps covering about 22 kb of DNA surrounding the C gene segment in liver and tumor DNA. The region on the 20 kb fragment has been localized where a DNA rearrangement had occurred. The presence of two rearranged kappa light chain genes in one tumor is discussed in regard to the molecular basis of allelic exclusion.     

Differences in the nuclease sensitivity between the two alleles of the immunoglobulin kappa light chain genes in mouse liver and myeloma nuclei.

In mouse myeloma T the productive kappa light chain gene differs from its aberrantly rearranged allele in the patterns of DNAase I hypersensitive sites. In the region of the alleles where they are identical in sequence they have one site in common which lies 0.8 kb downstream of the coding region; but two sites upstream of and within the C gene segment (2) are found only on the non-productive allele. Within the region of different sequences both alleles have analogously located DNAase I hypersensitive sites; they lie 0.15 kb upstream of the respective leader segments and cover putative promoter sequences. Only one of the six DNAase I hypersensitive sites is also very sensitive towards micrococcal nuclease due to its particular DNA sequence. The non-rearranged gene studied in liver nuclei has no DNAase I hypersensitive sites but is preferentially cleaved in A/T rich regions.     

Cell-type preference of immunoglobulin kappa and lambda gene promoters.

Immunoglobulin gene constant regions are known to be associated with strictly tissue-specific enhancer elements. Until recently the promoter of the variable region, which becomes linked to the constant region by somatic rearrangement, could have been viewed as a passive recipient of the enhancer stimulus. Here we show that the promoters of the immunoglobulin kappa and lambda light chain genes are approximately 20-30 times more active in lymphoid cells than in non-lymphoid cells. To avoid the problem of differential mRNA stability upon transfection of immunoglobulin genes into non-lymphoid cells we have constructed chimeric genes. All kappa mRNA sequences were progressively deleted to fuse the kappa gene promoter to a globin gene coding body. A similar chimeric gene was constructed with the promoter of the lambda gene. The cell-type preference of the promoter may be exploited during B-lymphocyte differentiation to regulate the immunoglobulin gene promoter independently from the enhancer.     

B cell development in mice that lack one or both immunoglobulin kappa light chain genes.

We have generated mice that lack the ability to produce immunoglobulin (Ig) kappa light chains by targeted deletion of J kappa and C kappa gene segments and the intervening sequences in mouse embryonic stem cells. In wild type mice, approximately 95% of B cells express kappa light chains and only approximately 5% express lambda light chains. Mice heterozygous for the J kappa C kappa deletion have approximately 2-fold more lambda+ B cells than wild-type littermates. Compared with normal mice, homozygous mutants for the J kappa C kappa deletion have about half the number of B cells in both the newly generated and the peripheral B cell compartments, and all of these B cells express lambda light chains in their Ig. Therefore, homozygous mutant mice appear to produce lambda-expressing cells at nearly 10 times the rate observed in normal mice. These findings demonstrate that kappa gene assembly and/or expression is not a prerequisite for lambda gene assembly and expression. Furthermore, there is no detectable rearrangement of 3' kappa RS sequences in lambda+ B cells of the homozygous mutant mice, thus rearrangements of these sequences, per se, is not required for lambda light chain gene assembly. We discuss these findings in the context of their implications for the control of Ig light chain gene rearrangement and potential applications of the mutant animals.     

Untranslated immunoglobulin kappa light chain mRNA in a lambda light chain-producing mouse myeloma, MOPC104E

Fourteen clones were isolated in culture from a mouse myeloma, MOPC104E. All clones had kappa and lambda types of light chain mRNAs in approximately equimolar quantity as assayed by hybridization with specific complementary DNA (cDNA). However, the myeloma produces and secretes only lambda-type light chain protein. Both kappa- and lambda-type mRNAs in these clones were indistinguishable from kappa- and lambda-type mRNAs of other myelomas with respect to (a) adsorption to oligo-(dT) cellulose, (b) molecular size (12.6 S), and (c) thermal stability of the hybrids formed with corresponding cDNA. The kappa chain mRNA of MOPC104E cells, however, was translated very inefficiently both in vivo and in vitro, whereas the lambda chain mRNA was translated efficiently. These results indicate that each cell of MOPC104E myeloma synthesizes a crippled kappa chain mRNA in addition to a normal lambda chain mRNA.     

Localization of the rat immunoglobulin lambda light chain locus to chromosome 11

Previous experiments using rat/mouse somatic cell hybrids have localized the rat c-myc gene to chromosome 7 (Sümegi et al. 1983), the rat immunoglobulin kappa locus to chromosome 4 (Perlmann et al. 1985), and the rat immunoglobulin heavy chain locus to chromosome 6 (Pear et al. 1986). Using a similar approach, we now report the localization of the rat immunoglobulin lambda light chain locus to chromosome 11.     

Determinant differences between the rabbit and mouse immunoglobulin kappa enhancers impair the activity of the rabbit enhancer in mouse myeloma cells.

Enhancer activity of the rabbit immunoglobulin kappa light chain gene intron conserved region (KICR) was examined in mouse myeloma cells using transient expression experiments. Compared to the homologous region of the mouse kappa light chain gene, the rabbit KICR shows nearly no stimulatory effect on expression of the indicator gene, cat. Experiments with mouse-rabbit chimeric KICRs indicated that differences in the region around the NF-kappa B binding site are responsible for the impaired activity of the rabbit KICR whereas mouse sequences covering the kappa E2 and kappa E3 motifs can be replaced by the equivalent rabbit fragment without affecting enhancer function. Creation of a perfect mouse NF-kappa B target sequence in the rabbit gene only partially restores enhancer activity. Furthermore, mouse and rabbit DNA fragments encompassing the NF-kappa B target sequence behave in an identical manner in an electrophoretic mobility shift assay. The results indicate species-related functional differences in the immunoglobulin kappa light chain gene enhancer and suggest that although the NF-kappa B binding site plays a crucial role in enhancer activity surrounding gene elements are also necessary for full enhancer effect.     

DNA sequence of the constant gene region of the mouse immunoglobulin kappa chain.

The constant (C; ref. 3) gene segment of the immunoglobulin kappa light chain and about 1 kb upstream as well as downstream of the segment have been sequenced. The sequences of the C gene segment itself and parts of the upstream region were determined both in liver and in myeloma T DNA clones derived from the same mouse inbred strain. The sequences were identical, i.e. no somatic mutations were detected. Two sites in the region not coding for protein are discussed as possible targets of aberrant variable (V) gene translocations. Doublet frequencies were calculated in the approx. 2500 bp of the C region sequence reported in this paper and in the approx. 3400 bp of two rearranged V gene regions.