The Joining (J) chain is a protein component that links monomers of antibodiesIgM and IgA to form polymeric antibodies capable of secretion.[5] The J chain is well conserved in the animal kingdom, but its specific functions are yet to be fully understood. It is a 137 residue polypeptide,[6] encoded by the IGJgene.[7][8][9]
^"Human PubMed Reference:". National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine.
^"Mouse PubMed Reference:". National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine.
^Levinson. Medical Microbiology and Immunology (11 ed.). McGraw Hill. pp. 405–6.
^Schroeder H, Wald D, Greenspan N (2008). "Chapter 4: Immunoglobulins: Structure and Function". In Paul W (ed.). Fundamental Immunology (Book) (6th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. pp. 125–151. ISBN978-0-7817-6519-0.