Localization of 14 functional J regions in the human T-cell receptor alpha-chain locus

Nearly 60 unique J alpha regions have been identified in human T-cell receptor (TCR) alpha chains to date, yet fewer than one-third of these have been localized within the alpha-chain locus. We report a rapid method for the mapping of productively rearranged J alpha regions using oligonucleotide probes and overlapping phage clones spanning 80 kb of the TCR-alpha locus. Fourteen J alpha regions were mapped using this technique; the positions of five of these have been verified by genomic cloning.