Lymphomas Are Clonal by κ Light Chain Rearrangement

PCR analysis of total spleen genomic DNA for the mouse κ locus. Primers were designed to amplify all V-J rearrangements, including VJ1, VJ2, VJ4, and VJ5. Specific PCR products for the four rearrangements corresponding to the calculated sizes are indicated with arrows. Bands of other sizes are due to non-specific products. If a tumor was present in the background of normal spleen cells, a single band appears brighter than all the other specific bands. Wild-type and LMP1 transgenic lymphocytes are positive for all four V-J rearrangements and serve as positive controls. Clonality is determined by the appearance of a predominant band at the correct size for a single V-J rearrangement. (739 KB PDF)