Functional and non-functional joining in immunoglobulin light chain genes of a mouse myeloma.

Leader, variable (V) and joining (J) gene segments, and adjacent regions of two rearranged alleles of the same kappa-chain producing mouse myeloma, comprising approximately 3,200 base pairs, have been sequenced. Sequence comparisons are reported. V-J joining in one of the alleles leads to a reading frame with a stop codon within the J-gene segments. Allelic exclusion is apparently realized in this tumour through the formation of such a non-functional allele.