Open AccessGerm Line Basis for Antibody Diversity: Immunoglobulin V H - and C H -gene Frequencies Measured by DNA·RNA Hybridization
Author(s) -
E. Premkumar,
Mohammed Shoyab,
Alan R. Williamson
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.71.1.99
Subject(s) - gene , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , antibody , nucleic acid thermodynamics , dna , rna , genetics
The reiteration frequency for mouse immunoglobulin VH -genes and CH -genes has been directly estimated by hybridization of purified MOPC 315 α-chain mRNA with a vast excess of mouse DNA. A biphasic Co t curve resulted. The low Co t transition (Co t1/2 about 1.5) was interpreted as hybridization to VH -genes and the high Co t transition (Co t1/2 about 103 ) as hybridization to CH -genes. These values correspond to about 5000 VH -genes and less than 8 CH -genes. This germ-line content of VH -genes is sufficient to account for antibody diversity given a comparable set of VL -genes. Minimal-gene models are invalidated and there is no need to invoke somatic generators of diversity.