The IMGT Nomenclature Committee (IMGT-NC) created in 1989 by Marie-Paule Lefranc at the Tenth International Human
Gene Mapping (HGM10) Workshop (June 10-17, 1989, New Haven, Connecticut, USA) is the IMGT Standing Committee in
charge of the standardized classification and nomenclature of the immunoglobulins (IG),
T cell receptors (TR) and of the Major Histocompatibility (MH) of human and other vertebrate species.[1]
In 1992, the IMGT Nomenclature Committee (IMGT-NC) became the first IUIS Nomenclature
Sub-Committee for the antigen receptors of the adaptive immune responses, immunoglobulins (IG) or antibodies and
T cell receptors (TR), chaired by Marie-Paule Lefranc. In its interface with the other IUIS Nomenclature Sub-Committees,
the IMGT Nomenclature Standing Committee is designated as 'IUIS Immunoglobulins (IG),
T cell Receptors (TR) and Major Histocompatibility (MH) Nomenclature Sub-Committee (IMGT-NC)'.
The IMGT Nomenclature Committee (IMGT-NC) is responsible of the coherence of the
IG, TR and MH gene and allele nomenclature, as well as that of the related proteins,
with the concepts of IDENTIFICATION, DESCRIPTION and NUMEROTATION of IMGT-ONTOLOGY
in IMGT®, the international ImMunoGeneTics information system® www.imgt.org[1].
The submission of new V genes and alleles requires:
a genomic germline sequence (germline gDNA)
a complete sequence from the atg (INIT-CODON) of L-PART1 to the V-RS included
a mapped sequence (cloned from BAC, cosmid, phage).
Sequences from NGS are accepted only for known alleles if they complete the germline genomic sequence in 5' or in 3' (a few alleles
may have incomplete sequences in 5' or 3' if they were retrieved from the literature before IMGT/GENE-DB was established).
Although new potential V alleles may be identified from NGS from blood sample DNA amplification, they are not considered by
the IMGT nomenclature committee (IMGT-NC) because the sequences are not mapped. If a new V allele is suspected by NGS, its
sequence needs to be confirmed from a direct
Sanger sequencing from the germline gDNA from the individual, or identified in an existing mapped BAC, cosmid or phage of
the alternative genomes on the genome browsers, for direct submission to IMGT-NC.
Alternatively, if a new V allele is suspected by NGS, its sequence can be submitted to IMGT-NC via the working group (WG) inferred allele review committee (IARC), within the adaptive immune receptor repertoire (AIRR) community. The WG analyses if the criteria for defining inferred alleles from NGS are fulfilled. The WG also insures that IMGT data quality requirements are met, so inferred alleles can be submitted to IMGT-NC. The procedure includes a submission of inferred alleles validated by the WG to a generalist database, before submission to IMGT-NC.
Submission of new D genes and alleles to IMGT-NC
The submission of new D genes and alleles requires:
a genomic germline sequence (germline gDNA)
a complete sequence from the 5'D-RS to the 3'D-RS included (D-GENE-UNIT)
a mapped sequence (cloned from BAC, cosmid, phage).
Submission of new J genes and alleles to IMGT-NC
The submission of new J genes and alleles requires:
a genomic germline sequence (germline gDNA)
a complete sequence from the J-RS to the DONOR-SPLICE included (J-GENE-UNIT plus DONOR-SPLICE)
a mapped sequence (cloned from BAC, cosmid, phage).
Submission of new C genes and alleles to IMGT-NC
The submission of new C genes and alleles requires:
a genomic germline sequence (germline gDNA)
a complete sequence from the first codon of the first exon (EX1) to the STOP-CODON included (this requirement has become effective from January 1, 2018)
a mapped sequence (cloned from BAC, cosmid, phage).
IMGT-NC reports
IMGT-NC reports are IMGT gene and allele approval reports for individual external submissions to IMGT-NC
Gene positions in IMGT-NC reports are those provided at the time of submission. Updated positions are available, after IMGT biocuration and annotation, in IMGT/LIGM-DB Locus reference accession number and in IMGT/GENE-DB Localization in Genome assemblies (http://www.imgt.org/genedb/).
AIRR Community inferred allele review committee (IARC)
Homo sapiens
IGHV
9
6
3
18
IMGT-NC_Report_2019-12-0924_Homsap_IGHV
Oscar Rodriguez, William Sinclair Gibson, Catherine Allison Silver, Kaitlyn Marie Shields, Melissa Smith and Corey Watson
Homo sapiens
IGHV
5
4
1
19
IMGT-NC_Report_2019-16-1031_Homsap_IGLV
Oscar Rodriguez, David A. Tieri, Sydney E. Smith, William Sinclair Gibson, Catherine Allison Silver, Kaitlyn Marie Shields, Melissa Smith and Corey Watson
Homo sapiens
IGLV
7
7
4
20
IMGT-NC_Report_2019-17-1118_Homsap_IGHV
AIRR Community inferred allele review committee (IARC)
Homo sapiens
IGHV
3
3
1
21
IMGT-NC_Report_2019-18-1218_Homsap_IGHV
AIRR Community inferred allele review committee (IARC)
Homo sapiens
IGHV
4
3
1
22
IMGT-NC_Report_2020-1-0917_Homsap_IGLV
Abdullah Gamal Dorgham, William Gibson Sinclair, Oscar Rodriguez, Kaitlyn Marie Shields, Catherine Allison Silver, Melissa Laird, Andrew Collins, Mats Ohlin, William Lees, Martin Corcoran, Cathrine Scheepers and Corey Watson
Homo sapiens
IGLV
3
0
3
23
IMGT-NC_Report_2020-2-1008_Homsap_IGHV
Abdullah Gamal Dorgham, William Sinclair Gibson, Oscar Rodriguez and Corey Watson
Homo sapiens
IGHV
5
4
1
24
IMGT-NC_Report_2020-3-1120_Homsap_IGKV_IGLV
AIRR Community inferred allele review committee (IARC)
Homo sapiens
IGKV, IGLV
6
3
3
25
IMGT-NC_Report_2021-1-0608_Homsap_IGKV_IGLV
Ivana Mikocziova
Homo sapiens
IGKV, IGLV
12
9
3
References
[1] Lefranc, M.-P., Nucleic Acids Res., 31,
307-310 (2003)Full text
[2] Giudicelli, V. and Lefranc, M.-P., Bioinformatics, 15, 1047-1054 (1999)
PMID:10745995,
LIGM:221
[3] Wain, H.M. et al., Genomics, 79, 464-470 (2002)
PMID: 11944974
[4] Lefranc, M.-P. and Lefranc, G., The Immunoglobulin FactsBook, Academic Press, 458 pages (2001)
ISBN: 012441351X
[5] Lefranc, M.-P. and Lefranc, G., The T cell receptor FactsBook, Academic Press, 398 pages (2001)
ISBN: 0124413528
[6] WHO-IUIS Nomenclature Subcommittee for immunoglobulins and T cell receptors report - Aug. 2007,
Dev. Comp. Immunol., 2007 Nov 6 (2007)
PMID: 18036660
[7] WHO-IUIS Nomenclature Subcommittee for immunoglobulins and T cell receptors report - Nov. 2007,
Immunogenetics, 59, 899-902 (2007)
PMID: 18046549
[8] Giudicelli, V. and Lefranc, M.-P. Ontology for Immunogenetics: IMGT-ONTOLOGY. Bioinformatics,
15, 1047-1054 (1999) PMID: 10745995, LIGM:221
[9] Giudicelli, V. and Lefranc, M.-P., IMGT-ONTOLOGY 2012. Online access Front Genet. 3:79.
doi: 10.3389/fgene.2012.00079. Epub 2012 May 23 (2012) PMID:22654892
[10] Lefranc M-P. Immunoglobulin (IG) and T cell receptor genes (TR): IMGT® and the birth and rise of immunoinformatics. Front Immunol. 2014 Feb 05;5:22. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2014.00022.
Open access. PMID: 24600447
Although new potential V alleles may be identified from NGS from blood sample DNA amplification, they are not considered by
the IMGT nomenclature committee (IMGT-NC) because the sequences are not mapped. If a new V allele is suspected by NGS, its
sequence needs to be confirmed from a direct
Sanger sequencing from the germline gDNA from the individual, or identified in an existing mapped BAC, cosmid or phage of
the alternative genomes on the genome browsers, for direct submission to IMGT-NC.
Alternatively, if a new V allele is suspected by NGS, its sequence can be submitted to IMGT-NC via the working group (WG) inferred allele review committee (IARC), within the adaptive immune receptor repertoire (AIRR) community. The WG analyses if the criteria for defining inferred alleles from NGS are fulfilled. The WG also insures that IMGT data quality requirements are met, so inferred alleles can be submitted to IMGT-NC. The procedure includes a submission of inferred alleles validated by the WG to a generalist database, before submission to IMGT-NC.