Variation in human T cell receptor Vβ and Jβ repertoire: analysis using anchor polymerase chain reaction

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Abstract
Anchor polymerase chain reaction has been applied to the study of human T cell receptor β chain repertoire in peripheral blood. The use of this technique has demonstrated that considerable variation in Vβ and Jβ usage exists, both within and between individuals. Particular Vβ families, including Vβ6, Vβ4 and Vβ12 are commonly utilized, while families such as Vβ10, Vβ11 and Vβ15 are rare in all individuals studied. Marked interindividual variation in Vβ usage was detected for Vβ12 and Vβ4. Biased usage of Jβ elements is a prominent feature of peripheral repertoire, while there is no evidence for preferential Vβ‐Jβ recombination events. Biased Jβ usage in expressed Vβ‐Dβ‐Jβ‐Cβ transcripts, subject to selection, was the same as that in aberrant, unselected Dβ‐Jβ‐Cβ transcripts, implying that bias resulted from events relating to rearrangement itself, in the absence of selection. N‐region diversity showed some evidence for preferential insertion of deoxyguanosine, consistent with the action of terminal deoxytransferase. No P‐nucleotide incorporation was seen in association with intact Jβ elements. These data provide evidence of some of the variation in human T cell receptor β chain repertoire and provide a basis for comparisons with sequences which may be obtained in autoimmune and superantigen‐mediated diseases.