VH-gene expression in murine lipopolysaccharide blasts distributes over the nine known VH-gene groups and may be random.

VH-gene expression in hybridomas derived from lipopolysaccharide-activated B cells was analyzed. Isolated cytoplasmic RNA was hybridized to probes representing the 9 known VH-gene groups or subjected to mRNA sequencing. In the collection of hybridomas VH genes of all 9 groups are expressed at frequencies which in most correlate reasonably well with the relative complexities of the groups. In 51 out of 54 RNA samples VH-gene transcripts could be identified and corresponded to one of the known VH-gene groups. It therefore appears that the latter essentially represent the VH-gene cluster of the mouse.