High rate of somatic point mutation in vitro in and near the variable-region segment of an immunoglobulin heavy chain gene.

The "silent" allele at the immunoglobulin heavy-chain locus in the pre-B-lymphocyte line 18-81 contains a correctly assembled gene. However, an amber termination codon within the variable-region gene segment prematurely terminates translation into complete heavy chain. Revertants that do produce heavy chain are generated at a high rate, which is termed hypermutation. By DNA sequencing of subclones, we have confirmed that whenever mu chain is produced by the usually silent allele, a true reversion is found in the DNA. Mutations are not confined to the position of the amber termination codon but are also found at other sites in and near the variable-region gene segment.