Human T-cell γ genes contain N segments and have marked junctional variability (original) (raw)

Nature volume 322, pages 184–187 (1986) Cite this article

Abstract

The _γ_-chain genes are encoded by immunoglobulin-like gene segments in germline DNA which rearrange during the somatic development of T cells to form an active gene1–7. The protein produced by these genes has not been identified and the diversity of the proteins that the genes can express has not been determined. We expect that the diversity of expressed _γ_-chains is produced by the same three mechanisms that produce diversity of other immunoglobulin-like genes: (1) germline variable (V) and joining (J) region repertoires; (2) somatic mutation; and (3) junctional diversity8,9. To define the contribution of each of these mechanisms to the generation of _γ_-chain diversity, several _γ_-chain complementary clones and rearranged _γ_-chain genes have been characterized. Most of these clones seem to encode a defective _γ_-chain, the variable- and constant-region portions being joined such that they would not be translated in the same reading frame. Here we report that the germline _J_-region diversity of the human T-cell _γ_-chain is very limited and that somatic mutation does not contribute to the diversity of the _γ_-chains encoded by the cloned segments. However, the junctional diversity of these _γ_-chain genes is extensive. We suggest that N sequences (template-independent sequences) have been inserted enzymatically into all of the _γ_-chain genes characterized.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cardiac Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Fruit Street, Boston, Massachusetts, 02114, USA
    Thomas Quertermous
  2. Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck Street, Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, USA
    William Strauss, Cornelis Murre & J. G. Seidman
  3. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Harvard University, 7 Divinity Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, USA
    Deno P. Dialynas & Jack L. Strominger

Authors

  1. Thomas Quertermous
  2. William Strauss
  3. Cornelis Murre
  4. Deno P. Dialynas
  5. Jack L. Strominger
  6. J. G. Seidman

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Quertermous, T., Strauss, W., Murre, C. et al. Human T-cell γ genes contain N segments and have marked junctional variability.Nature 322, 184–187 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1038/322184a0

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