TRANSGENIC CHICKEN HAVING AN ENDOGENOUS IMMUNOGLOBULIN HEAVY CHAIN GENE IN WHICH THE IGY CH1 CODING SEQUENCE IS FUNCTIONALLY DELETED

摘要

Provided herein is a transgenic chicken comprising a genome having an endogenous immunoglobulin heavy chain gene in which the IgY CH1 coding sequence is functionally deleted. In certain embodiments, in B cells of the chicken the endogenous immunoglobulin heavy chain gene comprises: (a) a functional immunoglobulin heavy chain gene comprising, in operable linkage, a nucleic acid encoding an antibody heavy chain variable domain and a constant region coding sequence in which the IgY CH1 coding sequence is functionally deleted; and (b) a plurality of pseudogenes that are operably linked to said functional immunoglobulin heavy chain gene and that donate, by gene conversion, nucleotide sequence to the nucleic acid encoding the variable domain of (a), wherein the pseudogenes are upstream of the nucleic acid encoding an antibody heavy chain variable domain of (a).