Molecular analysis of human immunoglobulin V lambda germline genes: subgroups V lambda III and V lambda IV.

Three human immunoglobulin V lambda germline genes have been isolated: two from the V lambda IV subgroup and one from the V lambda III subgroup. The V lambda III gene and one of the V lambda IV genes appear to be functional (each being utilized in at least two expressed V lambda genes), despite deviations from the reported consensus sequences in their promoter TATA-box and recombination signal sequence elements. The other V lambda IV gene is a pseudogene. Of the 20 human V lambda germline genes characterized to date, 45% are pseudogenes or vestigial genes.