Immunoglobulin JH rearrangement in a T-cell line reflects fusion to the DH locus at a sequence lacking the nonamer recognition signal.
Rearrangements of the immunoglobulin heavy chain joining region (JH) genes occur in some T lymphocytes, probably because the mechanism for assembly of T-cell receptor encoded genes is very similar to that for immunoglobulins. Two such rearrangements described previously represented proper fusion of a DH and JH gene. We have cloned and analyzed the JH rearrangements found on both alleles in the T lymphoma ST4. One represents conventional recombination between a member of the SP2 DH family and JH3. On the other allele, JH4 has recombined with a sequence within the DH locus but not at a DH gene. This recombination involved the heptamer but not the nonamer of the bipartite recognition signal required for DH-JH joining. This result suggests that the heptamer may be the primary determinant of the specificity in V-gene assembly and that the DH locus as a whole may be preferred target for recombination.
Gerondakis
S
S
Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Victoria, Australia.
Bernard
O
O
Cory
S
S
Adams
J M
JM
D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes; D005803:Genes, Immunoglobulin; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D007133:Immunoglobulin Joining Region / Q000235:genetics*; D007138:Immunoglobulin delta-Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D008223:Lymphoma; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D021382:Protein Sorting Signals / Q000235:genetics; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000235:genetics; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D007133:Immunoglobulin Joining Region; D007138:Immunoglobulin delta-Chains; D021382:Protein Sorting Signals; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D004247:DNA; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes