Abstract: Objective To amplify IgG heavy chain variable region genes directly from rabbit peripheral blood. Methods Two pairs of PCR primers were designed according to the cDNA sequence of rabbit germline Immunoglobulin（Ig）heavy chain variable region（VH）and constant-region（CH）genes, which were obtained from IMGT/GENE-DB. With the total RNA that was extracted from rabbit peripheral blood as a template, an one-step RT-PCR reaction was done and followed by a nested-PCR. By cloning the PCR products to T vector, DNA sequencing and blasting in Bioedit software and IMGT/V-QUEST network database, the genotype of CH and three VH gene segments, VSUB>H/SUB>（IGHV）, D（IGHD）and JSUB>H/SUB>（IGHJ）, were confirmed, and the specificity and compatibility of the primers were evaluated. Results A total of 25 clones were analyzed. Their DNA sequences were different from each other, and all belonged to rabbit IgG heavy chain coding genes. Their constant regions were encoded by the same allele gene, IGHG*02. Of these 25 clones, there were 2 of 37 IGHV, 8 of 11 IGHD, and 4 of 11 IGHJ functional genes; and they assembled to 18 kinds of VSUB>H/SUB>-D-JSUB>H/SUB> combinations. ［IGHV1S40*01］-［IGHD8-1*01］-［IGHJ4*01］ was the topmost VSUB>H/SUB>-D-JSUB>H/SUB> combinations, which appeared in 4 clones, but some differences existed some differences in sequence. Conclusion We have succeeded in amplifying IgG heavy chain variable region genes rapidly and specifically from rabbit peripheral blood, and the primers, which designed by ourselves, have displayed a relatively good compatibility, but the VH-D-JSUB>H/SUB> combinations with IGHV1S40*01 or IGHV1S45*01 seem to be amplifie

Key words: Peripheral blood, Immunoglobulin, Heavy chain, Variable region, RT-PCR, Sequence analysis, Rabbit