Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America logoLink to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
. 1986 Sep;83(17):6598–6602. doi: 10.1073/pnas.83.17.6598

Diversity and structure of human T-cell receptor beta-chain variable region genes.

P Concannon, L A Pickering, P Kung, L Hood
PMCID: PMC386551  PMID: 3489234

Abstract

The nucleotide sequences of 27 T-cell receptor beta cDNA clones isolated from a human peripheral lymphocyte library were determined and compared to five additional published sequences. These cDNA clones represent 22 distinct T-cell receptor beta-chain variable region (V beta) gene segment sequences, which fall into 15 different V beta gene subfamilies, each containing six or fewer members. From this analysis, we estimate that the repertoire of expressed human V beta genes is less than 59, apparently much smaller than the immunoglobulin heavy chain and light chain variable region (VH and VL) repertoires. Variability plots comparing these human V beta regions with each other and with published mouse V beta regions provide evidence for only four hypervariable regions homologous to those seen in comparisons of immunoglobulin V regions. Somatic hypermutation appears to be used infrequently, if at all, in these V beta genes.

Full text

PDF
6598

Images in this article

6600Image
on p.6600
6600Image
on p.6600
6600Image
on p.6600
6600Image
on p.6600
6600Image
on p.6600
6600Image
on p.6600
6600Image
on p.6600
6600Image
on p.6600
6600Image
on p.6600
6600Image
on p.6600
6600Image
on p.6600
6600Image
on p.6600
6600Image
on p.6600

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Alt F. W., Baltimore D. Joining of immunoglobulin heavy chain gene segments: implications from a chromosome with evidence of three D-JH fusions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1982 Jul;79(13):4118–4122. doi: 10.1073/pnas.79.13.4118. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Arden B., Klotz J. L., Siu G., Hood L. E. Diversity and structure of genes of the alpha family of mouse T-cell antigen receptor. 1985 Aug 29-Sep 4Nature. 316(6031):783–787. doi: 10.1038/316783a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Barth R. K., Kim B. S., Lan N. C., Hunkapiller T., Sobieck N., Winoto A., Gershenfeld H., Okada C., Hansburg D., Weissman I. L. The murine T-cell receptor uses a limited repertoire of expressed V beta gene segments. Nature. 1985 Aug 8;316(6028):517–523. doi: 10.1038/316517a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Behlke M. A., Chou H. S., Huppi K., Loh D. Y. Murine T-cell receptor mutants with deletions of beta-chain variable region genes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1986 Feb;83(3):767–771. doi: 10.1073/pnas.83.3.767. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Behlke M. A., Spinella D. G., Chou H. S., Sha W., Hartl D. L., Loh D. Y. T-cell receptor beta-chain expression: dependence on relatively few variable region genes. Science. 1985 Aug 9;229(4713):566–570. doi: 10.1126/science.3875151. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Biggin M. D., Gibson T. J., Hong G. F. Buffer gradient gels and 35S label as an aid to rapid DNA sequence determination. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1983 Jul;80(13):3963–3965. doi: 10.1073/pnas.80.13.3963. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Brodeur P. H., Riblet R. The immunoglobulin heavy chain variable region (Igh-V) locus in the mouse. I. One hundred Igh-V genes comprise seven families of homologous genes. Eur J Immunol. 1984 Oct;14(10):922–930. doi: 10.1002/eji.1830141012. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Capra J. D., Kehoe J. M. Variable region sequences of five human immunoglobulin heavy chains of the VH3 subgroup: definitive identification of four heavy chain hypervariable regions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1974 Mar;71(3):845–848. doi: 10.1073/pnas.71.3.845. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Chou P. Y., Fasman G. D. Empirical predictions of protein conformation. Annu Rev Biochem. 1978;47:251–276. doi: 10.1146/annurev.bi.47.070178.001343. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Cory S., Tyler B. M., Adams J. M. Sets of immunoglobulin V kappa genes homologous to ten cloned V kappa sequences: implications for the number of germline V kappa genes. J Mol Appl Genet. 1981;1(2):103–116. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Crews S., Griffin J., Huang H., Calame K., Hood L. A single VH gene segment encodes the immune response to phosphorylcholine: somatic mutation is correlated with the class of the antibody. Cell. 1981 Jul;25(1):59–66. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(81)90231-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Gascoigne N. R., Chien Y., Becker D. M., Kavaler J., Davis M. M. Genomic organization and sequence of T-cell receptor beta-chain constant- and joining-region genes. Nature. 1984 Aug 2;310(5976):387–391. doi: 10.1038/310387a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Goverman J., Minard K., Shastri N., Hunkapiller T., Hansburg D., Sercarz E., Hood L. Rearranged beta T cell receptor genes in a helper T cell clone specific for lysozyme: no correlation between V beta and MHC restriction. Cell. 1985 Apr;40(4):859–867. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(85)90345-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Haskins K., Kubo R., White J., Pigeon M., Kappler J., Marrack P. The major histocompatibility complex-restricted antigen receptor on T cells. I. Isolation with a monoclonal antibody. J Exp Med. 1983 Apr 1;157(4):1149–1169. doi: 10.1084/jem.157.4.1149. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Helms C., Graham M. Y., Dutchik J. E., Olson M. V. A new method for purifying lambda DNA from phage lysates. DNA. 1985 Feb;4(1):39–49. doi: 10.1089/dna.1985.4.39. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Hood L., Kronenberg M., Hunkapiller T. T cell antigen receptors and the immunoglobulin supergene family. Cell. 1985 Feb;40(2):225–229. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(85)90133-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Ikuta K., Ogura T., Shimizu A., Honjo T. Low frequency of somatic mutation in beta-chain variable region genes of human T-cell receptors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1985 Nov;82(22):7701–7705. doi: 10.1073/pnas.82.22.7701. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Jones N., Leiden J., Dialynas D., Fraser J., Clabby M., Kishimoto T., Strominger J. L., Andrews D., Lane W., Woody J. Partial primary structure of the alpha and beta chains of human tumor T-cell receptors. Science. 1985 Jan 18;227(4684):311–314. doi: 10.1126/science.3871253. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Kappler J., Kubo R., Haskins K., Hannum C., Marrack P., Pigeon M., McIntyre B., Allison J., Trowbridge I. The major histocompatibility complex-restricted antigen receptor on T cells in mouse and man: identification of constant and variable peptides. Cell. 1983 Nov;35(1):295–302. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(83)90232-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Kim S., Davis M., Sinn E., Patten P., Hood L. Antibody diversity: somatic hypermutation of rearranged VH genes. Cell. 1981 Dec;27(3 Pt 2):573–581. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(81)90399-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Kyte J., Doolittle R. F. A simple method for displaying the hydropathic character of a protein. J Mol Biol. 1982 May 5;157(1):105–132. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(82)90515-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Patten P., Yokota T., Rothbard J., Chien Y., Arai K., Davis M. M. Structure, expression and divergence of T-cell receptor beta-chain variable regions. Nature. 1984 Nov 1;312(5989):40–46. doi: 10.1038/312040a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Pech M., Höchtl J., Schnell H., Zachau H. G. Differences between germ-line and rearranged immunoglobulin V kappa coding sequences suggest a localized mutation mechanism. Nature. 1981 Jun 25;291(5817):668–670. doi: 10.1038/291668a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Reed K. C., Mann D. A. Rapid transfer of DNA from agarose gels to nylon membranes. Nucleic Acids Res. 1985 Oct 25;13(20):7207–7221. doi: 10.1093/nar/13.20.7207. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Sakano H., Maki R., Kurosawa Y., Roeder W., Tonegawa S. Two types of somatic recombination are necessary for the generation of complete immunoglobulin heavy-chain genes. Nature. 1980 Aug 14;286(5774):676–683. doi: 10.1038/286676a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Sanger F., Nicklen S., Coulson A. R. DNA sequencing with chain-terminating inhibitors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1977 Dec;74(12):5463–5467. doi: 10.1073/pnas.74.12.5463. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Siu G., Clark S. P., Yoshikai Y., Malissen M., Yanagi Y., Strauss E., Mak T. W., Hood L. The human T cell antigen receptor is encoded by variable, diversity, and joining gene segments that rearrange to generate a complete V gene. Cell. 1984 Jun;37(2):393–401. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(84)90369-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Siu G., Kronenberg M., Strauss E., Haars R., Mak T. W., Hood L. The structure, rearrangement and expression of D beta gene segments of the murine T-cell antigen receptor. 1984 Sep 27-Oct 3Nature. 311(5984):344–350. doi: 10.1038/311344a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Siu G., Kronenberg M., Strauss E., Haars R., Mak T. W., Hood L. The structure, rearrangement and expression of D beta gene segments of the murine T-cell antigen receptor. 1984 Sep 27-Oct 3Nature. 311(5984):344–350. doi: 10.1038/311344a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Tonegawa S. Somatic generation of antibody diversity. Nature. 1983 Apr 14;302(5909):575–581. doi: 10.1038/302575a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Toyonaga B., Yoshikai Y., Vadasz V., Chin B., Mak T. W. Organization and sequences of the diversity, joining, and constant region genes of the human T-cell receptor beta chain. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1985 Dec;82(24):8624–8628. doi: 10.1073/pnas.82.24.8624. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Tunnacliffe A., Kefford R., Milstein C., Forster A., Rabbitts T. H. Sequence and evolution of the human T-cell antigen receptor beta-chain genes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1985 Aug;82(15):5068–5072. doi: 10.1073/pnas.82.15.5068. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Tunnacliffe A., Rabbitts T. H. Sequence of the D beta 2-J beta 2 region of the human T-cell receptor beta-chain locus. Nucleic Acids Res. 1985 Sep 25;13(18):6651–6661. doi: 10.1093/nar/13.18.6651. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Weigert M., Perry R., Kelley D., Hunkapiller T., Schilling J., Hood L. The joining of V and J gene segments creates antibody diversity. Nature. 1980 Jan 31;283(5746):497–499. doi: 10.1038/283497a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Wu T. T., Kabat E. A. An analysis of the sequences of the variable regions of Bence Jones proteins and myeloma light chains and their implications for antibody complementarity. J Exp Med. 1970 Aug 1;132(2):211–250. doi: 10.1084/jem.132.2.211. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. Yanagi Y., Yoshikai Y., Leggett K., Clark S. P., Aleksander I., Mak T. W. A human T cell-specific cDNA clone encodes a protein having extensive homology to immunoglobulin chains. Nature. 1984 Mar 8;308(5955):145–149. doi: 10.1038/308145a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. Yoshikai Y., Anatoniou D., Clark S. P., Yanagi Y., Sangster R., Van den Elsen P., Terhorst C., Mak T. W. Sequence and expression of transcripts of the human T-cell receptor beta-chain genes. Nature. 1984 Dec 6;312(5994):521–524. doi: 10.1038/312521a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America are provided here courtesy of National Academy of Sciences

RESOURCES