title: Extensive junctional diversity of rearranged human T cell receptor delta genes.
abstract: The human T cell receptor delta (TCR delta) gene encodes one component of the TCR gamma delta-CD3 complex found on subsets of peripheral blood and thymic T cells. Human TCR delta diversity was estimated by characterizing rearrangements in TCR gamma delta cell lines and determining the structures of complementary DNA clones representing functional and nonfunctional transcripts in these cell lines. One V delta segment and one J delta segment were identified in all functional transcripts, although a distinct J delta segment was identified in a truncated transcript. Further, one D delta element was identified, and evidence for the use of an additional D delta element was obtained. Thus human TCR delta genes appear to use a limited number of germline elements. However, the apparent use of two D delta elements in tandem coupled with imprecise joining and extensive incorporation of N nucleotides generates unprecedented variability in the junctional region.
authors.affiliation: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hata
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Satyanarayana
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Devlin
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Band
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McLean
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Strominger
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Brenner
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Krangel
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D005796:Genes; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000235:genetics*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell