Conservation among vertebrate immunoglobulin chains detected by antibodies to a synthetic joining segment peptide.

We used affinity purified antibodies produced against a synthetic peptide sequence corresponding to the entire J beta of a human T cell receptor gene to screen sera of man, mouse and other vertebrates to determine the presence of cross-reactive molecules. Little evidence for free alpha/beta heterodimers was found, but the antibody reacted with light chains of many vertebrate species, including characterized myeloma proteins of man and mouse. Some vertebrate orders, notably Aves, lacked polypeptide chains cross-reactive with J beta, but detectable determinants occurred in primitive vertebrates such as the galapagos shark (Carcharhinus galapagensis). In addition to the strong cross-reaction with purified light chains, human heavy chains reacted weakly with the antibody. The cross-reaction correlated with the sequence of the denatured immunoglobulins and was inhibitable with free peptide. These results establish the similarity of T cell receptor beta chains to immunoglobulin chains and support the conclusion that J region sequences were conserved, not only within mammalian immunoglobulins and T cell receptors, but in vertebrate evolution.