Antibody variability. Somatic recombination between the elements of "antibody gene pairs" may explain antibody variability.

I have analyzed the available amino acid sequence data from 30 myelomatosis-derived proteins. Several types of variation are apparent. I conclude that a major and genetically predetermined contribution to the variability of these proteins and of antibodies could be provided by chromosomal rearrangements resulting from somatic recombination between similar but not identical genes in antibody gene pairs. My hypothesis suggests many new types of experiment and can be tested (31).