Comparison of somatic mutation frequency among immunoglobulin genes.

ABSTRACT

We analyzed the frequency of somatic mutation in immunoglobulin genes from hybridomas that secrete anti-(4-hydroxy-3-nitrophenyl)acetyl (NP) monoclonal antibodies. A high frequency of mutation (3.3-4.4%) was observed in both the rearranged VH186.2 and V lambda 1 genes, indicating that somatic mutation occurs with similar frequency in these genes in spite of the absence of an intron enhancer in lambda 1 chain genes. In contrast to the high frequency in J-C introns, only two nucleotide substitutions occurred at positions -462 and -555 in the 5' noncoding region in one of the lambda 1-chain genes and in none of the other three so far studied. Since a similar low frequency of somatic mutation was observed in the 5' noncoding region of inactive lambda 2-chain genes rendered inactive because of incorrect rearrangement, this region may not be a target or alternatively, may be protected from the mutator system. We observed a low frequency of nucleotide substitution in unrearranged V lambda 1 genes (approximately 1/15 that of rearranged genes). Together with previous results (Azuma T., N. Motoyama, L. Fields, and D. Loh, 1993. Int. Immunol. 5121), these findings suggest that the 5' noncoding region, which contains the promoter element, provides a signal for the somatic mutator system and that rearrangement, which brings the promoter into close proximity to the enhancer element, should increase mutation efficiency.