kappa Chain joining segments and structural diversity of antibody combining sites

Immunoglobulin kappa light chains are coded for by at least three distinct gene segments designated variable, joining, and constant. The joining gene codes for the 13 amino acid segment linking the variable and constant regions. This peptide includes the last amino acid (96) in the third complementarity-determining region and thus could introduce structural diversity. We have determined the light chain variable region sequences from three myeloma proteins with beta(1,6)galactan-binding specificity, bringing to six the number of light chains sequenced from proteins demonstrating this specificity. Five of these have isoleucine at position 96 and the sixth tryptophan. This substitution appears to be accommodated with no significant change in association constant for a beta(1,6)galactan hapten. Additionally, as many as nine substitutions are found in both light and heavy chain complementarity-determining regions between members of this group although only minimal variations in hapten binding affinity are observed. The isoleucine found at position 96 in five of the kappa chains could not be coded for by any of the joining gene nucleotide sequences previously observed and would require a novel nucleotide sequence at the recombination site between variable and joining genes to produce the observed protein structure. Alternatively, there may exist joining gene segments not yet detected.