Sequence and evolution of the human germline V sub( chi ) repertoire

We recently completed a map of the human immunoglobulin lambda (IGL) locus on chromosome 22q11.2 and showed that the V sub( chi ) genes are arranged in three distinct clusters, each containing members of different V sub( chi ) families. We have now sequenced each of these V sub( chi ) genes and determined which are functional by comparison with the expressed repertoire. Our analysis indicates that there are approximately 30 functional V sub( chi ) genes, depending on the haplotype, that belong to ten V sub( chi ) families (five V sub( chi )1, five V sub( chi )2, eight V sub( chi )3, three V sub( chi )4, three V sub( chi )5, one V sub( chi )6, two V sub( chi )7, one V sub( chi )8, one V sub( chi )9 and one V sub( chi )10). V sub( chi ) genes related to the major human V sub( chi ) families (V sub( chi )1, V sub( chi )2 and V sub( chi )3) predominate in species that express mainly lambda light chains.