Organization and orientation of a human T cell receptor δ chain V gene segment that suggests an inversion mechanism is utilized in its rearrangement

Abstract
A human T cell receptor (TcR) δ chain variable region segment, Vδ3, has been mapped 2 kilobases 3′ to the constant (Cδ) gene. The Vδ3 gene segment is in an inverted transcriptional orientation to the diversity regions (Dδ), joining regions (Jδ) and Cδ gene segments. Analyses of TcR δ cDNA clone, KT041, showed that Vδ3 is linked to Dδ1, Dδ2, Jδ3 and Cδ and that this message encodes a potentially functional TcR δ chain. These findings indicate that a functional TcR δ gene can be constructed through a chromosomal inversion, suggesting that in human, chromosomal inversion is one of the important rearrangement mechanisms.