RECOGNITION OF THE PRODUCT OF A NOVEL MHC TL REGION GENE (27B) BY A MOUSE GAMMA-DELTA-T-CELL RECEPTOR

The γδ T cell receptor (TCR) derived from the mouse KN6 T cell hybridoma recognizes an autologous determinant encoded by a broadly expressed gene mapping in the TL region of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). We have cloned the gene and demonstrated that it is a novel class I gene (designated 27b) belonging to a hitherto undescribed TL region gene cluster in strain C57BL 6. The BALB c allele of 27b, gene T17c, is defective because it lacks an appropriate splice acceptor site, which explains the lack of recognition of BALB c stimulator cells by the KN6 cells. We propose that γδ TCR and nonclassical MHC and MHC-related class I molecules have coevolved to recognize a conserved set of endogenous and foreign determinants. © 1990.