[Structure and function of the immunoglobulin Vh gene in man].

The present study provides a survey on the structure and functions of human Vh-genes. The more than 100 individual gene segments on chromosome 14 are classified, according to sequence homologies, into 6 families. They differ very much in size and contain pseudogenes, form an interspersed cluster, exhibit homologies with mouse genes and have phylogenetically developed from a single primordial gene. There seem to be no association of antibody specificities with distinct Vh genes or families. Reports of preferential VH gene usage in the fetal stage or in autoantibody synthesis require confirmation. Vh genes for Ig production in the adult mammalian organism are, most probably randomly selected.