title: Molecular genetics of the T cell-receptor beta chain.
abstract: Characterization of cDNA and genomic clones encoding the Beta chain of the T-cell receptor for antigen reveals a very close resemblance to immunoglobulin: V, D, J, and C elements; the mechanism of rearrangement; and the potential extent of diversity, explaining the relatively large T-cell repertoire of specificities and the clonal nature of individual responses. Differences with immunoglobulins are evident in the much more heterogeneous V beta sequences, which appear to have additional hypervariable regions. Together these data predict a roughly immunoglobulin-like structure for the receptor, but with potentially significant variation from immunoglobulin in the nature of the combining site(s).
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D005796:Genes; D006801:Humans; D007127:Immunoglobulin Constant Regions / Q000235:genetics; D007144:Immunoglobulin J-Chains / Q000235:genetics; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D010455:Peptides / Q000235:genetics; D011487:Protein Conformation; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007127:Immunoglobulin Constant Regions; D007144:Immunoglobulin J-Chains; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region; D010455:Peptides; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D004247:DNA