Segmental Homology between T-cell Receptors and Immunoglobulin Variable Regions: Evidence that Antisera to Synthetic JH1 Peptide React with Murine and Human T-cell Products

AbstractTo determine precisely the nature of serological determinants shared between T-cell surface molecules and immunoglobulin variable regions, the capacity of antisera directed against a synthetic peptide corresponding to the entire JH1 region of classical immunoglobulin plus five residues of the D region were tested for their capacity to bind to T-cell membranes and isolated T-cell products. The anti-JH1 antisera reacted with normal and monoclonal in vitrogrown T-cell lines as judged by microhemagglutination and binding in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Immunologically cross-reactive membrane components disclosed by immunoblot transfer analysis (“Western blots”) consisted of major components in the molecular weight range 30-35,000 and minor components in the range 65-70,000. The major product of the human T-cell leukemia line MOLT-3 had an approximate mass of 34,000 Da, a value consistent with the predicted size of the molecule specified by the recently described putative T-cell receptor gene YT...