The molecular assembly of the marsupial γμ T cell receptor defines a third T cell lineage.
- Resource Type
- Article
- Authors
- Morrissey, Kimberly A.; Wegrecki, Marcin; Praveena, T.; Hansen, Victoria L.; Bu, Lijing; Sivaraman, Komagal Kannan; Darko, Samuel; Douek, Daniel C.; Rossjohn, Jamie, ; Miller, Robert D., ; Nours, Jérôme Le,
- Source
- Science; 3/26/2021, Vol. 371 Issue 6536, p1383-1388, 6p, 4 Diagrams
- Subject
- T cell receptors
Antigens
Marsupials
Mammals
Crystal structure
- Language
- ISSN
- 00368075
ab and gd T cell receptors (TCRs) are highly diverse antigen receptors that define two evolutionarily conserved T cell lineages. We describe a population of gmTCRs found exclusively in non-eutherian mammals that consist of a two-domain (Vg-Cg) g-chain paired to a three-domain (Vm-Vmj-Cm) m-chain. gmTCRs were characterized by restricted diversity in the Vg and Vmj domains and a highly diverse unpaired Vm domain. Crystal structures of two distinct gmTCRs revealed the structural basis of the association of the gmTCR heterodimer. The Vm domain shared the characteristics of a single-domain antibody within which the hypervariable CDR3m loop suggests a major antigen recognition determinant. We define here the molecular basis underpinning the assembly of a third TCR lineage, the gmTCR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]