All SHIV-induced V2 apex–directed lineages are derived from the same rhesus DH3-15*01 gene in reading frame two and invariantly acquire a minimal five-residue motif. (a) Germline VH, DH, and JH genes for all potently neutralizing rhesus V2 apex–directed lineages described here and previously (13 total). (b) VDJ junction analysis of a representative antibody from each rhesus lineage. The respective germline VH, DH, and JH gene sequences are truncated and aligned to each VDJ junction, and each VDJ junction is aligned with respect to the DH gene. VH and JH nucleotides and residues are colored gray, non-templated nucleotides and residues (insertions and N/P additions) are colored blue, DH-gene nucleotides and residues are colored red, and SHM is colored black; we do not interpret SHM within non-templated regions. The reading frame in which each DH gene has been incorporated is denoted. The five-residue DH3-15*01 motif (EDDYG) acquired by all 13 lineages during VDJ recombination is highlighted with transparent red shading. (c) List of conserved DH3-15*01 residue motifs of varying length that are acquired by at least half of the rhesus lineages during VDJ recombination. The five-residue EDDYG motif described in panel b is written in red.