Heavy-chain variable regions in normal and pathological immunolobulins

Amino acid sequence of the variable region of a human mu chain: location of a possible JH segment

The complete amino acid sequence of th variable (V) region of the mu heavy chain of a human IgM immunoglobulin (Cam) has been determined. The strategy for sequence determination involved sequenator analysis of the CNBr cleavage products of the succinylated carboxymethylated Fab mu fragment, and of tryptic peptides of the CNBr polypeptides and thermolytic subpeptides. The variable region of this heavy chain (VH) belongs to the VHIII subgroup; it has greater than 70% homology with other VHIII sequences and contains the VHIII marker peptide, Phe-Thr-Ile-Ser-Arg (residues 67-71). As more sequences have been published, the number of subgroup-specific residues has diminished to the point that no position is absolutely subgroup specific. An analysis of the available human VH sequences in the V/C switch region showed the likelihood of a human JH segment (residues 101-113) analogous to the J segments in mouse light chains. The JH region is highly conserved, has striking homology to proposed mouse JH regions, and has significant homology to known mouse J lambda and J kappa segments.

Hv(1), a variable-region genetic marker of human immunoglobulin heavy chains

A new antigenic determinant was discovered with a hemagglutination-inhibition assay system. Designated Hv(1), it is located in the variable region of human immunoglobulin heavy chains of the G, M, and A classes. Pedigree and population analyses suggest that it has an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance. This represents the first description of an allotypic determinant in the variable region of human immunoglobulins.

Recombination, mutation, or constitutive expression at a Gm locus and familial hypergammaglobulinemia

In a hypercholesterolemic Lebanese family, an uncommon Gm haplotype carrying an unexpected C gamma 1 gene was inherited by only one of 10 siblings. A new recombination during the maternal or paternal meiosis could explain its formation. According to this hypothesis, our data would be informative for the linkage relationship between the gamma-cistrons and the alpha 2-cistron. The latter might be located near the N-terminal side of the gamma-cistron linkage group, and the sequence of genes would be alpha 2, gamma 4, gamma 3, and gamma 1. A mutation could also effect the change from G1m(17) (codons AAA and AAG) TO G1m(3) (codons AGA and AGG). Another alternative is to postulate a constitutive expression of a C gamma 1 structural gene which, normally, would not be expressed. The uncommon derepression could be the consequence of uncommon cellular response to environmental, pathological or metabolic perturbation of a regulatory mechanism.

Antigenic determinants of heavy chain variable regions: immumological typing of the human immunoglobulin VHIII subgroup

An antigenic determinant of the VHIII variable region subgroup was defined by means of a heterologous specific antiserum using a hemagglutination inhibition procedure. The specificity of this antiserum was established in inhibition experiments with proteins either of known primary structure or belonging to a definite VH subgroup. A series of IgG, IgA, IgM and IgD monoclonal proteins was examined for the presence of this VHIII subgroup antigenic determinant. The data showed that 50% of the IgG, 62% of the IgA, 55% of the IgM and 41% of the IgD were VHIII-positive, and that certain "blocked" monoclonal immunoglobulins belonged to this subgroup. A preferential association of the VHIII antigenic determinant with the IgG1 and IgG3 subclasses was observed among IgG myeloma proteins while the preferential association was only observed with the IgG1 subclass when anti-Rh antibodies were studied. The VHIII subgroup exhibited nonallelic behavior.

Chemical studies on a monoclonal immunoglobulin from a patient with carcinoma of the colon

Structural studies were carried out on a monotypic immunoglobulin (Ig) isolated from a patient suffering from a colon tumor. Results indicated that the light (L) chain of this protein belonged to the VkappaII subgroup and was devoid of known Inv allotypic determinants, whereas the heavy (H) chain variable (V) region belonged to the VHIII subgroup and its constant (C) region was of the gamma1 subclass and was Gm (a+Z+). The amino acid sequence of a total of 106 residues has been determined for this molecule. An extra cysteine was present at the fourth hypervarible region of the heavy chain. Preliminary results indicated that the Fc fragment of this protein did not include the inter-heavy-chain disulfide bonds.

Complete amino acid sequence of the Mu heavy chain of a human IgM immunoglobulin

The amino acid sequence of the micro, chain of a human IgM immunoglobulin, including the location of all disulfide bridges and oligosaccharides, has been determined. The homology of the constant regions of immunoglobulin micro, gamma, alpha, and epsilon heavy chains reveals evolutionary relationships and suggests that two genes code for each heavy chain.

Sequence relationships among the variable regions of immunoglobulin heavy chains from various mammalian species

Immunoglobulin heavy chains of myeloma proteins from dogs and cata have been subjected to automated sequence analysis. When the results were compared with human heavy-chain sequences, all the dog and cat proteins could be unequivocally assigned to the V(H)III subgroup. This pattern contrasts with that in human proteins in which only 25% of all heavy chains sequenced belong to this subgroup. The 30 residues at the NH(2) termini of dog, cat, and human heavy chains had sequence identities near or exceeding 90%, in contrast to established interspecies sequence homologies of constant regions of about 60%. Some genes of the immunoglobulin heavy-chain variable region thus appear to have been conserved through a considerable period of evolutionary time. The analyses also showed that the presence of certain amino acids at certain positions in these heavy chains could be correlated with the species of origin. The occurrence of such "phylogenetically associated" residues is most consistent with the presence of a restricted number of genes in the heavy-chain variable region pool.

Localization of two additional hypervariable regions in immunoglobulin heavy chains

Cyanogen bromide fragments were isolated from the heavy chains of three human IgG myeloma proteins of the V(H)III subgroup, sequenced by an automated method, and localized to the variable region. Inspection of these sequences, together with corresponding stretches from both human and animal proteins (studied in other laboratories) led to the detection of two additional hypervariable regions characteristic of the V(H) segment of immunoglobulin heavy chains. These areas of hypervariability, involving heavy-chain residues 86-91 and 101-109, were separated by a region of relative constancy. The close relationship of these two hypervariable regions, and the previously described first heavy-chain hypervariable region (residues 31-37), to the first heavy-chain disulphide bridge implies that the three hypervariable areas might be in close steric approximation in native immunoglobulin molecules. Examination of the sequences of the terminal portion of V(H) of all these proteins (the segment from residue 95 to the beginning of homology region C(H)l) revealed that no subgroup-specific residues could be identified in this area. Thus, heavy-chain subgroup distinctions may not extend through the entire variable region.