Characterization of an expressed CD3-associated Ti gamma-chain reveals C gamma domain polymorphism.
The majority of human T cells express an antigen receptor consisting of a disulphide-linked heterodimer (Ti) of relative molecular mass 80,000-90,000 (Mr 80-90K) which is noncovalently associated with a set of at least three proteins of Mr 20-28K termed CD3 (Leu4, T3). Whereas both chains of Ti, an acidic alpha-chain of Mr 48-54K and a more basic beta-chain of Mr 40-44K, contain variable and constant region domains, the component peptides of CD3 are invariant. Several laboratories have more recently reported the expression of CD3 in association with a novel protein. On the surface of long-term T-cell lines and one thymocyte clone this novel structure consists of a 40K protein noncovalently linked to a 55 or 62K protein identified as the protein product of the Ti gamma-chain gene, a T-cell specific gene which like the Ti alpha- and Ti beta-chain genes undergoes rearrangement of variable (V) and joining (J) region gene segments. On the human T-cell leukaemic line PEER we have detected only a single 55K glycoprotein associated with CD3. We here demonstrate that an anti-Ti gamma-peptide antiserum reacts with the 55K CD3-associated protein on PEER. Most previously described human Ti gamma-chain complementary DNA clones encode the products of non-functional rearrangements. One of the Ti gamma cDNAs isolated from PEER, however, represents a functional rearrangement reported for the first time in a cell which expresses a Ti gamma-chain protein product on the cell surface. Interestingly, a 48-base-pair (bp) sequence in the constant (C) region domain of this functional Ti gamma-chain cDNA is triplicated in PEER and duplicated in other cDNAs isolated from PEER and other cell lines.
D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000032:analysis*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D004247:DNA; D006801:Humans; D008970:Molecular Weight; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000235:genetics*; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D004247:DNA