Light chain sequences of human IgM cold agglutinins (variable-region subgroups amino-acid sequence-kappa light chain-N-terminal)

Abstract

The amino-terminal amino-acid sequence has been determined for the kappa light chains of nine IgM cold agglutinins with specificity for blood group-related carbohydrate antigens. Six of the nine sequences corresponded to the prototype VK(III) subgroup pattern, two to that of subgroup VK(II), and only one to the VK(I) subgroup. This distribution of kappa subgroups differs markedly from that of normal and myeloma proteins sequenced to date, where the VK(I) subgroup is more prevalent than either VK(II) or VK(III). Evidence is presented that supports the conclusion that the unusual subgroup distribution relates to the antibody property itself and not to some other attribute of these molecules.