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A Sequence Restriction in the Variable Region of Immunoglobulin Light Chains from Sharks, Birds, and Mammals¹

From the Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California

Abstract

A relatively conserved pentapeptide sequence is present in the variable region of normal immunoglobulin - and -chains from animals as diverse as sharks, birds, and mammals. This same conserved sequence is also present in most myeloma light chains from dog, mouse, and man. The conservation of this pentapeptide sequence over the more than 400 million years since sharks and mammals diverged suggests that this region must carry out a very important, but as yet unknown function. A homologous but less highly conserved stretch of sequence is present in the variable region of immunoglobulin heavy chains.

Footnotes

¹ This work was supported in part by grants from the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and the American Cancer Society.

² Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama in Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.

³ Department of Microbiology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine of the City University of New York, New York, New York.

⁴ J. D. C. and L. H. are the recipients of National Institutes of Health Career Development Awards.

⁵ NCI Immunoglobulin Reference Center, Springfield, Virginia.

⁶ Department of Immunology and Medical Microbiology, College of Medicine of the University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.