Contribution of immunoglobulin heavy-chain variable-region genes to antibody diversity

A mouse cloned cDNA probe containing a variable (V) region belonging to the VHIII subgroup has been used in filter hybridisations to estimate the number of heavy-chain V-genes in this subgroup of mouse and human DNA. There seem to be about 10 and 20 VH-genes hybridising to this probe in mouse and human DNA, respectively. Studies of cross-hybridisation of the related VK-genes from MOPC21 and MPC11 myelomas indicate that the experiments detect all members of the VHIII subgroup.