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Updated: Aug 9, 2026

Generating De Novo Antigen-specific Human T Cell Receptors by Retroviral Transduction of Centric Hemichain
Published on: October 25, 2016
An evolutionarily mobile antigen receptor variable region gene: doubly rearranging NAR-TcR genes in sharks
Michael F Criscitiello1, Mark Saltis, Martin F Flajnik
1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland, Howard Hall, Suite 324, 660 West Redwood Street, Baltimore, MD 21201-1559, USA.
Abstract:
Distinctive Ig and T cell receptor (TcR) chains define the two major lineages of vertebrate lymphocyte yet similarly recognize antigen with a single, membrane-distal variable (V) domain. Here we describe the first antigen receptor chain that employs two V domains, which are generated by separate VDJ gene rearrangement events. These molecules have specialized "supportive" TcRdeltaV domains membrane-proximal to domains with most similarity to IgNAR V. The ancestral NAR V gene encoding this domain is hypothesized to have recombined with the TRD locus in a cartilaginous fish ancestor >200 million years ago and encodes the first V domain shown to be used in both Igs and TcRs. Furthermore, these data support the view that gamma/delta TcRs have for long used structural conformations recognizing free antigen.
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