Localization in mouse-L-Cell chromosomal sites of transferred immunoglobulin genes.

Mouse thymidine kinase negative (tk-) L-cells were cotransformed with two different kappa light chain genes (cloned from mouse myeloma) and the tk gene from Herpes simplex virus I. (Transformation is defined as change in the genotype by introduction of foreign DNA.) About 80% of the tk+ -transformants contained varying amounts of transferred kappa light chain sequences, one transformant about 150 copies per genome. The transferred immunoglobulin genes appear to be organized in a nucleosomal substructure, as deduced from digestion experiments with micrococcal nuclease. In situ hybridization experiments revealed, that the transferred genes are not distributed randomly across the chromosomes of the recipient cell. Instead they are clustered at one or a few chromosomal locations.