A murine antibody to Shigella dysenteriae type 1 employs V-genes that contain a rearranged codon for the λ light chain

The cDNA coding for a hybridoma anti Shigella dysenteriae type 1 antibody (3707 E9) has been cloned, and sequenced. Binding patterns with fragments of the bacterial polysaccharide antigen had already been studied in detail. The V h sequence utilizes the V h441 gene, first identified amongst β-(1,6)galactan-binding antibodies, while the V l is closely related to the Vλ 1 gene. We found that the V l 3707 E9 gene employed a V l-J combinatorial joining leading to a rare Trp→Leu substitution at position L96.