Immunoglobulin kappa light chains

Faust, C.H., Diggelmann, H., Mach, B. (1974). Estimation of the number of genes coding for the constant part of the mouse immunoglobulin kappa light chain. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 71, 2491-2495. 

Lee, S.K., Bridges, S.L., Jr., Koopman, W.J., Schroeder, H.W., Jr. (1992). The immunoglobulin kappa light chain repertoire expressed in the synovium of a patient with rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum. 35,905-913. 

Schupp, I.W., Schlake, T., Kirschbaum, T., Zachau, H.G., Boehm, T. (1997). A yeast artificial chromosome contig spanning the mouse immunoglobulin kappa light chain locus. Immunogenet-ics 45, 180-187. 

Steinmetz, M., Zachau, H.G., Mach, B. (1979). Cloning of immunoglobulin kappa light chain genes from mouse liver and myeloma MOPC 173. Nucleic Acids Res. 6,3213-3229. 

The eukaryotic transcription factor NF-kB was identified as a protein that binds specifically to a decameric DNA sequence (ggg ACT TTC C), within the intronic enhancer of the immunoglobulin kappa light chain in mature B and plasma cells, but not pre-B cells [32, 33]. This transcription factor consists of homo- or heterodimers of different subunits which are members of a family of structurally related proteins (Rel/NF-icB proteins). NF-kB has been detected in most cell types, and specific NF-kB binding sites have been identified in promoters and enhancers of numerous inducible genes. Thus, it has been shown that NF-kB plays a pivotal role in the coordinated transactivation of many genes involved in cytokine-mediated inflammation. 

Bertocci, B., De Smet, A., Berek, C., Weill, J. C., and Reynaud, C. A. (2003). Immunoglobulin kappa light chain gene rearrangement is impaired in mice deficient for DNA polymerase mu. Immunity 19, 203-211. 

Smith, M. M., and Huang, R. C. C., 1976, Transcription in vitro of immunoglobulin kappa light chain genes in isolated mouse myeloma nuclei and chromatin, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 73 775. 

S. Deret, L. Denoroy, M. Lamarine, R. Vidal, B. Mougenot, B. Frangione, F. J. Stevens, P. M. Ronco, P. Aucouturier. Kappa light chain-associated Fanconi s syndrome molecular analysis of monoclonal immunoglobulin light chains from patients with and without intracellular crystals. Protein Eng. 1999, 12, 363-369. 

FIGURE 6.4 Lambda (A) and kappa (B) immunoglobulin light chain antibodies demonstrate the clear monotypia of the plasma cells in this multiple myeloma. Kappa light chain mRNA in situ hybrization (C) and lambda light chain mRNA (D). 

FIGURE 11.29 Monotypic labeling for lambda light-chain immunoglobulin (A) and negativity for kappa light-chain (B) in primary plasmacytoma (C) of the mediastinum. 

All immunoglobulins have the same basic structure and consist of two identical light and two identical heavy polypeptide chains, held together by disulphide bridges (Fig. 1). The light chains may be cither of two types kappa or lambda. The heavy chains may be of five types alpha, gamma, delta, epsilon and mu. The immunoglobulins are named after their heavy chain type, as IgA. IgG. IgD. IgE and IgM. 

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