Wild mice express an Ig V lambda gene that differs from any V lambda in BALB/c but resembles a human V lambda subgroup.

The lambda L chain locus in the inbred mouse strains commonly used in the laboratory contains a limited number of germ-line genes; only three V lambda and three functional J lambda-C lambda genes have been identified in BALB/c mice. Previous studies indicated that wild mice may have a considerably expanded number of C lambda genes, as judged by the number of DNA restriction fragments that hybridize to C lambda probes derived from BALB/c. In order to evaluate the expression of these putative lambda genes, we have determined sequences of cDNA encoding lambda-chains in hybridomas from wild mice of the subspecies Mus musculus musculus from two different geographic regions, Denmark and Czechoslovakia. Two of these hybridomas produce L chains with J and C regions that are very similar to those of BALB/c lambda 1 chains, but the V regions of these L chains are only approximately 40% identical in amino acid sequence to the known murine V lambda. Indeed, these wild mouse V lambda are closer in sequence to human V lambda than they are to BALB/c V lambda, especially to human V lambda of subgroup VI, with which they share an unusual two-residue insertion in framework 3; L chains bearing V regions of this rare human type have a marked tendency to enter into amyloid deposits. These findings suggest that similar V lambda may be widespread in mammalian populations, although analysis by Southern blotting indicates that they are not found in BALB/c mice. A third hybridoma produces a L chain whose V lambda resembles BALB/c V lambda 1. The J lambda and C lambda segments of the cDNA encoding all three hybridoma L chains are identical; evidently, of the several putative genes that hybridize to C lambda 1 probes, one is expressed preferentially.