Immunoglobulin lambda locus, also known as IGL@, is a region on the q arm of human
chromosome 22, region 11.22 (22q11.22) that contains
gene
In biology, the word gene has two meanings. The Mendelian gene is a basic unit of heredity. The molecular gene is a sequence of nucleotides in DNA that is transcribed to produce a functional RNA. There are two types of molecular genes: protei ...
s for the lambda
light chains of
antibodies
An antibody (Ab) or immunoglobulin (Ig) is a large, Y-shaped protein belonging to the immunoglobulin superfamily which is used by the immune system to identify and neutralize antigens such as bacteria and viruses, including those that caus ...
(or immunoglobulins).
Function
Immunoglobulins recognize foreign
antigen
In immunology, an antigen (Ag) is a molecule, moiety, foreign particulate matter, or an allergen, such as pollen, that can bind to a specific antibody or T-cell receptor. The presence of antigens in the body may trigger an immune response.
...
s and initiate immune responses such as phagocytosis and the complement system. Each immunoglobulin molecule consists of two identical heavy chains and two identical light chains. There are two classes of light chains, kappa and lambda. This region represents the germline organization of the lambda light chain locus. The locus includes V (variable), J (joining), and C (constant) segments. During B cell development, a recombination event at the DNA level joins a single V segment with a J segment; the C segment is later joined by splicing at the RNA level. Recombination of many different V segments with several J segments provides a wide range of antigen recognition. Additional diversity is attained by junctional diversity, resulting from the random additional of nucleotides by terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase, and by somatic hypermutation, which occurs during B cell maturation in the spleen and lymph nodes. Several V segments and three C segments are known to be incapable of encoding a protein and are considered pseudogenes. The locus also includes several non-immunoglobulin genes, many of which are pseudogenes or are predicted by automated computational analysis or homology to other species.
Genes
The immunoglobulin lambda locus contains the following genes:
* IGLC@ – constant group
** IGLC1 – immunoglobulin lambda constant 1 (
Mcg marker)
** IGLC2 – immunoglobulin lambda constant 2 (
Kern-Oz- marker)
** IGLC3 – immunoglobulin lambda constant 3 (
Kern-Oz+ marker)
** IGLC7 – immunoglobulin lambda constant 7
* IGLJ@ –
joining group
** IGLJn – immunoglobulin lambda joining n
** IGLJ1, IGLJ2, IGLJ3, IGLJ6, IGLJ7
* IGLV@ –
variable group
** IGLVm-n – immunoglobulin lambda variable n-m
** IGLV1-36, IGLV1-40, IGLV1-44, IGLV1-47, IGLV1-51, IGLV1-62
** IGLV2-5, IGLV2-8, IGLV2-11, IGLV2-14, IGLV2-18, IGLV2-23
** IGLV3-1, IGLV3-10, IGLV3-12, IGLV3-16, IGLV3-19, IGLV3-21, IGLV3-25, IGLV3-27
** IGLV4-3, IGLV4-60, IGLV4-69
** IGLV5-37, IGLV5-39, IGLV5-45, IGLV5-52
** IGLV6-57
** IGLV7-43
** IGLV9-49
** IGLV10-54
Ig lambda chain C regions is a
protein
Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residue (biochemistry), residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including Enzyme catalysis, catalysing metab ...
that in humans is encoded by the ''IGLC2''
gene
In biology, the word gene has two meanings. The Mendelian gene is a basic unit of heredity. The molecular gene is a sequence of nucleotides in DNA that is transcribed to produce a functional RNA. There are two types of molecular genes: protei ...
.
References
Further reading
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