Structure of the T15 VH gene subfamily: identification of immunoglobulin gene promotor homologies.

We have sequenced and analyzed the flanking and coding regions of four closely related mouse VH gene segments referred to as the T15 gene subfamily. We have found that although the sequence homologies between the four members of this family are greatest in the coding region, significant homologies extend into the leader sequences and the flanking regions as well. Sequence comparisons of the promoter regions of other VH gene segments indicate that the octamer promoter sequence is part of a larger conserved sequence that may play an important role in immunoglobulin gene transcription. Analysis of the lambda clones containing the members of this subfamily indicate that despite the close linkage of two of the members, the average number of kilobases of DNA between the germ-line gene segments of this family is likely to be very great.