The authors have analyzed the involvement of V gamma and J gamma segments in TRG gamma rearrangement from a series of 40 acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), including 25 T- and 15 B-lineage cases, in which TRG gamma are rearranged. Sixty-five rearranged alleles were studied. The authors first describe the cloning and sequencing of two variable segments, V gamma 11 and psi V gamma 12, which rearrange in T- and B-neoplastic cells. To date three subgroups of translatable V gamma segments have been described. The authors show that V gamma 11 is the unique member of a new fourth V gamma subgroup that also rearranges in normal polyclonal T cells and that psi V gamma 12 is located at 5-kilobase (kb) downstream to V gamma 11. As shown by DNA sequence analysis, V gamma 11 shares a 60% homology with V gamma 10 (third subgroup) and a 50% homology with V gamma 9 (second subgroup) but no appreciable homology with the V gamma segments from the first family. In contrast to psi V gamma 12, V gamma 11 is translatable. In this paper the authors have also attempted to determine which V gamma segments were rearranged in the ALL cases by hybridization with a J gamma probe and genomic probes specific of the four subgroups. In the 54 instances in which the rearrangement was consistent with J gamma 1 or J gamma 2 involvement, the authors have identified the corresponding V gamma segments and have not found any other rearrangements suggestive of the existence of further V regions. The V gamma segments, belonging to the first subgroup, were the most frequently used (41 alleles). V gamma 9, V gamma 10, V gamma 11, and psi V gamma 12 were found rearranged in cases 3, 4, 5, and 1, respectively. No cases using the pseudo psi V gamma 1, psi V gamma 5, and psi V gamma 6 segments were found. Pseudo V gamma segments were not found rearranged in T cells, while V gamma 2 and V gamma 4, segments are frequently used. In contrast to the V gamma I gene rearrangement, the involvement of the V gamma II, V gamma III, and V gamma IV subgroups was most frequently observed in T-ALL with stage II differentiation (CD7+, CD4+, and/or CD8+, CD3-), than in those with stage I (CD7+, CD4-, CD8-, CD3-), than in those with stage I (CD7+, CD4-, CD8-, CD3-) and stage III (CD7+, CD4+/-CD8+/-CD3+).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)