PRODUCTION OF AN ABNORMAL MU-CHAIN WITH A SHORTENED VHIV SUBGROUP VARIABLE REGION IN A BURKITTS-LYMPHOMA CELL-LINE

The Burkitt's lymphoma cell line Ly66 produces a short μ chain which lacks 4 kDa in apparent molecular mass. Study of the corresponding messenger RNA showed it to be 0.3 kb shorter than normal μ transcripts. The cDNA sequence of the μ transcripts began by a short VH region consisting of the first one-third of a VHIV subgroup gene segment. It was followed by a normal μ constant region. This VH region coded for 38 amino acids, thus differing from two truncated VHIV regions previously reported in other Burkitt's lymphoma cell lines, which were interrupted at codon + 26 by an alternate splicing event. In addition, the Ly66 variable sequence bore several point mutations and contained two potential n-glycosylation sites. © 1990.