Rapid turnover of the CD3ζ chain independent of the TCR-CD3 complex in normal T cells

AbstractThe function of CD3ζ in the assembly and transport of the T cell receptor (TCR)-CD3 complex was analyzed in normal T cells. The ζ chain, but not other chains in the surface TCR complex, rapidly exchanged with newly synthesized ζ. Because ζ was expressed independently from the complex, the TCR complex may be transported to the surface along the ζ turnover pathway by association with ζ. These data suggest the dynamic nature of ζ metabolism and provide the evidence that a single component in a multisubunit receptor exhibits independent metabolism from the rest of the complex