Immunochemical proof that a novel rearranging gene encodes the T Cell receptor δ subunit

The T cell receptor (TCR) 8 protein is expressed as part of a heterodimer with TCR -y, in association with the CDS potypeptidcs on a subset of functional peripheral blood T lymphocytes, thymocytcs, and certain leukemic T cell lines. A monoclonal antibody directed against TCR 8 was produced that binds specifically to the surface of several TCR 78 cell lines and inununoprecipitates the TCR -yS as a heterodimer from Triton X-100 detergent lysates and also immunoprecipitates the TCR S subunit alone after chain separation. A candidate human TCR 8 complementary DNA done (IDP2 O240/38), reported in a companion paper, was isolated by the subtractive library approach from a TCR γδ cell line. This complementary DNA clone was used to direct the synthesis of a polypeptide that is specifically recognized by the monoclonal antibody to TCR δ. This complementary DNA clone thus corresponds to the gene that encodes the TCR δ subunit.