Patent ID: 7129084

Claim:
A transgenic vector comprising a humanized Immunoglobulin (Ig) locus, wherein (a) said humanized Ig locus comprises multiple Ig gene segments, including multiple variable (V) gene segments, multiple J gene segments, and one or more constant region gene segments, (b) at least one of said gene segments is a functional V gene segment encoding a human V region amino acid sequence, (c) said V gene segments are separated only by non-coding, non-human sequences derived from a non-human animal that generates antibody diversity primarily through gene conversion and/or hypermutation, (d) at least one of said functional V gene segments encoding a human V region amino acid sequence is placed downstream of the other V gene segments, and (e) said Ig gene segments are juxtaposed in an unrearranged, partially rearranged or fully rearranged configuration, and wherein, as a result of structural features (a)–(e), said humanized Ig locus is capable of undergoing gene conversion and producing a repertoire of humanized immunoglobulins with V region amino acid sequences encoded by segments of more than one V region gene, in said non-human animal.