HIGH-INCIDENCE OF A T-NUCLEOTIDE AT THE 2ND POSITION OF CODON-97 IN V-DELTA-2-(D)-J-DELTA-1 JUNCTIONAL SEQUENCES OF HUMAN NORMAL SKIN GAMMA-DELTA T-CELLS

In this investigation, we have demonstrated that in-frame polyclonal V delta 2-(D)-J delta 1 junctional sequences from human skin gamma delt a T-cells contain a high incidence of T nucleotides at the second posi tion of codon 97. Analysis of the deduced amino acid sequences based o n in-frame V delta 2-(D)-J delta 1 junctional nucleotide sequences fro m normal skin gamma delta T-cells revealed a high incidence of the ami no acids valine and leucine at position 97. These results are consiste nt with the studies in peripheral blood gamma delta T-cells, but not w ith previous findings in skin gamma delta T-cells, where random nucleo tides were observed in the second position of codon 97 of V delta 2-(D )-J delta 1 junctional sequences and only a small minority of the dedu ced V delta 2-(D)-J delta 1 amino acid sequences showed the amino acid s valine and leucine at codon 97. Therefore, our findings indicate tha t the human skin gamma delta T-cells with a T-cell receptor consisting of a V delta 2-(D)-J delta 1-C delta 1 chain are not a subset distinc t from the subpopulation of human peripheral blood gamma delta T-cells expressing the same chain. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.