The IUIS ‘Immunoglobulins (IG), T cell receptors (TR) and Major Histocompatibility (MH) Nomenclature Sub-Committee’ is part of the IUIS Nomenclature Committee (NOM), sanctioned by WHO since 1992 (http://www.iuisonline.org/). It is the interface of the IMGT Nomenclature Committee (IMGT-NC) with the other IUIS Nomenclature Sub-Committees.
It reports on the standardized classification and nomenclature of the immunoglobulins (IG), T cell receptors (TR) and major histocompatibility (MH) genes and proteins of humans and other vertebrate species which are managed by IMGT®, the international ImMunoGeneTics information system® http://www.imgt.org[1], created in 1989 by Marie-Paule Lefranc, and the global reference in immunogenetics and immunoinformatics [2].
Members
Founding Members of the WHO-IUIS Nomenclature Subcommittee for immunoglobulins (IG), T cell receptors (TR) and major histocompatibility (MH) (IMGT-NC) are Donald Capra (USA) (1937-2015) (www.jimmunol.org/content/194/12/5575.full), Hans Georg Zachau (Germany) (1930-2017), Max Cooper (USA), Tasuku Honjo (Japan) Nobel Prize in Medicine 2018, Leroy Hood (USA), Fumihiko Matsuda (Japan), Gérard Lefranc (France) and Marie-Paule Lefranc (France) (Founder Chair).
Members of the IUIS Nomenclature Subcommittee IMGT-NC are experts and contributors to the field of immunogenetics who in their published work have promoted standardization of the IG, TR and/or MH gene and alleles.
Summary reports written by the IMGT-NC are sent on an annual basis to the chair of the WHO-IUIS Nomenclature (Michel Kazatchkine (Sept 1992-2004), Laurence Boumsell (Sept 2004-2010), Pablo Engel (Sept 2010-2016), Menno van Zelm (Sept 2016-)) for presentation at the annual IUIS Council Meetings (coincident every three years with the International Congress of Immunology (ICI).
New IG and TR genes and alleles
The biocuration of new IG and TR genes and alleles is done by the IMGT® team. This includes polymorphic genes from humans and genes of newly sequenced genomes of any species of vertebrates with jaws (gnasthomata) others than humans.
The complete annotation of new IG and TR genes and alleles is performed based on the IMGT-ONTOLOGY concepts [3] and IMGT Scientific chart rules: standardized identification (keywords), description (labels), classification (gene and allele nomenclature) and numerotation (IMGT unique numbering).
Following the entry of a new IG or TR gene in IMGT/GENE-DB – which marks its official approval by IMGT® – the IMGT-NC chair informs the Human Genome Organization (HUGO) Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC), Vega Genome Browser, and the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI Gene) of the new gene and of its IMGT gene name (symbol and definition, reference sequence, genome localization, functionality). Reciprocal links for individual entries are created between the four sites IMGT, HGNC, Vega and NCBI Gene.
IG and TR alleles are under the entire responsibility of IMGT® since its creation in 1989 (Human Gene Mapping 10 workshop, New Haven). The alleles are managed in IMGT/GENE-DB and displayed in Alignments of alleles. There are fully annotated and entered in the IMGT® web resources, databases and tools as described above. Updates of the IMGT reference directories are reported in the Documentation of the corresponding IMGT® tools.
LIGM communications at HGM10
Human Gene Mapping 10. New Haven Conference (1989). Tenth International Workshop on Human Gene Mapping. New Haven, USA, June 11-17, 1989. Nine abstracts A336 to A344 (LIGM 110-118) published in Cytogenet. Cell Genet., 51, 1989. The 10th abstract approved at the meeting marked the creation of IMGT.
Princeps publications on IG and TR gene nomenclature
Lefranc, M.-P. Nomenclature of the human immunoglobulin genes. In: Current Protocols in Immunology (J. E. Coligan, B.E. Bierer, D.E. Margulies, E.M. Shevach and W. Strober, eds.), John Wiley and Sons, Hoboken N.J., pp. A.1P.1-A.1P.37 (2000). LIGM: 230. PMID: 18432650 [4]
Lefranc, M.-P. Nomenclature of the human T cell receptor genes. In: Current Protocols in Immunology (J. E. Coligan, B.E. Bierer, D.E. Margulies, E.M. Shevach and W. Strober, eds.), John Wiley and Sons, Hoboken N.J., pp. A.1O.1-A.1O.23 (2000). LIGM:231. PMID: 18432649 [5]
IMGT Locus in Focus (22 publications on IG and TR nomenclature published from 1998 to 2003, with pdf)
Lefranc M-P. Immunoglobulin (IG) and T cell receptor genes (TR): IMGT® and the birth and rise of immunoinformatics. Front Immunol. 2014 Feb 05;5:22. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2014.00022. Open accessPMID: 24600447 [2](on invitation of the IUIS Nomenclature Committee Chair)
Reports of the WHO-IUIS Nomenclature Sub-committee/IMGT-NC for immunoglobulins and T cell receptors and MH
1989. Creation of IMGT-NC by Marie-Paule Lefranc at the Human Genome Mapping 10, New Haven (USA). The Homo sapiens TRG genes [10] were the first variable (V), joining (J) and constant (C) genes of a complete antigen receptor locus to be officially recognized as 'genes' as well as the conventional genes during the HGM10 meeting. This breakthrough marked the creation of IMGT® by Marie-Paule Lefranc (University of Montpellier, CNRS) and the advent of immunoinformatics, a new science at the interface between immunogenetics and bioinformatics [2].
Since the creation of IMGT® in 1989, at New Haven during the tenth Human Genome Mapping Workshop (HGM10), the standardized classification and nomenclature of the IG and TR of human and other vertebrate species have been under the responsibility of the IMGT Nomenclature Committee (IMGT-NC).
1995. First online demonstration of IMGT (at the 9th International Congress of Immunology (ICI), San Francisco (USA), July 22-29, 1995.
In 1995, following the first online demonstration of the IMGT® nucleotide database IMGT/LIGM-DB at the 9th International Congress of Immunology in San Francisco (CA, USA), IMGT-NC (created in 1989, and working with the IUIS Nomenclature Committee since 1992) became officially the WHO-IUIS Nomenclature SubCommittee for immunoglobulins (IG) and T cell receptors (TR) (IMGT-NC), with the mission for IMGT® to provide the nomenclature of the IG and TR genes and alleles of vertebrate species with jaws (gnathostomata) to the global scientific community and to the relevant international organisations.
1996-1998. IMGT-ONTOLOGY concepts of classification (CLASSIFICATION axiom) and standardized rules for the nomenclature of immunoglobulin (IG) and T cell receptor (TR) genes and alleles of any vertebrate species from fishes to humans.
1999. IMGT Homo sapiens IG and TR genes (>650 genes) approved by the Human Genome Organisation (HUGO) Nomenclature Committee (HGNC).
2007. WHO-IUIS Nomenclature Subcommittee for immunoglobulins and T cell receptorsreport - Aug. 2007 [6][7]
2007- 53rd IUIS Council Meeting, August 27, 2007 (at the 13th International Congress of Immunology (ICI), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
WHO-IUIS Nomenclature Sub-Committee for Immunoglobulins and T cell receptors report August 27, 2007
WHO-IUIS Nomenclature Subcommittee for immunoglobulins and T cell receptors report Aug. 2007, Dev. Comp. Immunol., 32, 461-463 (2008) PMID: 18036660[8] with permission from Elsevier
WHO-IUIS Nomenclature Sub-Committee for Immunoglobulins and T cell receptors. Nov. 2007, Immunogenetics, 59, 899-902 (2007) PMID: 18046549[9]
2008- 54th WHO-IUIS Council Meeting, October 17-20, 2008, Tapei, Taiwan (at the 4th Congress of the Federation of Immunological Societies of Asia-Oceania (FIMSA)
2009- 55th IUIS Council Meeting, November 8, 2009, Sharm-El-Sheik, Egypt (at the FAIS meeting)
Conference, 2009 (on invitation of the WHO-IUIS Nomenclature Committee Chair) :
IMGT® Databases and Tools for Immunoglobulin (IG) and T cell receptor (TR) analysis, and for Antibody humanization.
2010- 56th IUIS Council Meeting, August 21, 2010, and 57th IUIS Council Meeting, August 25, 2010 (at the 14th International Congress of Immunology (ICI), Kobe, Japan)
WHO-IUIS Nomenclature Sub-Committee for Immunoglobulins and T cell receptors, report February 02, 2010
2011- 58th IUIS Council Meeting, June 23, 2011, Washington DC, USA
WHO-IUIS Nomenclature Sub-Committee for Immunoglobulins and T cell receptors, report June 15, 2011
2012- IMGT-ONTOLOGY concepts applied to MH nomenclature (MH1 and MH2 for vertebrates with jaws other than humans, for guidance to interested groups.
59th IUIS Council Meeting, May 29, 2012, Lima, Peru
Immunoglobulins (IG), T cell receptors (TR) and Major Histocompatibility (MH) Nomenclature Sub-Committee, report slide May 29, 2012
IUIS Nomenclature Committee, report 2012
2013- 60th IUIS Council Meeting, May 22, 2013 and 61st IUIS Council Meeting, August 22, 2013 (at the 15th International Congress of Immunology (ICI), Milan, Italy)
Immunoglobulins (IG), T cell receptors (TR) and Major Histocompatibility (MH) Nomenclature Sub-Committee,report August 22, 2013
Lefranc M-P. Immunoglobulin (IG) and T cell receptor genes (TR): IMGT® and the birth and rise of immunoinformatics. Front Immunol. 2014 Feb 05;5:22. LIGM:429. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2014.00022. Open access. PMID: 24600447[2] (on invitation of the IUIS Nomenclature Committee Chair)
2014- 62nd IUIS Council Meeting, November 30, 2014, Nairobi, Kenya
Immunoglobulins (IG), T cell receptors (TR) and Major Histocompatibility (MH) Nomenclature Sub-Committee,report September 01, 2014
IUIS Nomenclature Committee, report 2014
2015- 63rd IUIS Council Meeting, October 13, 2015, Medellin, Colombia
Immunoglobulins (IG), T cell receptors (TR) and Major Histocompatibility (MH) Nomenclature Sub-Committee,report September 28, 2015
2016- 64th IUIS Council Meeting, August 20, 2016 and 65th IUIS Council Meeting, August 22, 2016 (at the 16th International Congress of Immunology (ICI), Melbourne, Australia)
Immunoglobulins (IG), T cell receptors (TR) and Major Histocompatibility (MH) Nomenclature Sub-Committee, report August 10, 2016
IUIS Nomenclature Committee, report 2016
2017- 66th IUIS Council Meeting, December 2, 2017, Hammamet, Tunisia (on occasion of the 10th African Congress of Immunology FAIS (December 3-7, 2017).
IUIS Immunoglobulins (IG), T cell Receptors (TR) and Major Histocompatibility (MH) Nomenclature SubCommittee (IMGT-NC), report November 22, 2017
IUIS Nomenclature Committee, report 2017
2018- 67th IUIS Council Meeting, May 14, 2018, Cancun, Mexico (on occasion of the XII Congress of Latin American Association of Immunology ALAI and XXIII Congress of Mexican Society of Immunology SMI) (May 14-18, 2018).
IUIS Immunoglobulins (IG), T cell Receptors (TR) and Major Histocompatibility (MH) Nomenclature SubCommittee (IMGT-NC), report April 29, 2018
2019- 68th IUIS Council Meeting, October 18, 2019, Beijing, China (on occasion of the 17th International Congress of Immunology) (October 19-23, 2019).
IUIS Immunoglobulins (IG), T cell Receptors (TR) and Major Histocompatibility (MH) Nomenclature Sub-Committee (IMGT-NC), report August 28, 2019
References
[1] Lefranc, M.-P. et al. IMGT®, the international ImMunoGeneTics information system® 25 years on. Nucleic Acids Res. 2015 Jan;43(Database issue):D413-22. doi: 10.1093/nar/gku1056. Epub 2014 Nov 5 Free articlePMID: 25378316
[2] Lefranc, M.-P. Immunoglobulin (IG) and T cell receptor genes (TR): IMGT® and the birth and rise of immunoinformatics. Front Immunol. 2014 Feb 05;5:22. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2014.00022. Open access. PMID: 24600447
[3] Giudicelli, V. and Lefranc, M.-P. IMGT-ONTOLOGY 2012. Frontiers in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Online access. Front. Genet. 2012; 3:79. Epub 2012 May 23. PMID: 22654892
[4] Lefranc, M.-P. Nomenclature of the human immunoglobulin genes. In: Current Protocols in Immunology (J. E. Coligan, B.E. Bierer, D.E. Margulies, E.M. Shevach and W. Strober, eds.), John Wiley and Sons, Hoboken N.J., pp. A.1P.1-A.1P.37 (2000). PMID: 18432650 LIGM:230
[5] Lefranc, M.-P. Nomenclature of the human T cell receptor genes. In: Current Protocols in Immunology (J. E. Coligan, B.E. Bierer, D.E. Margulies, E.M. Shevach and W. Strober, eds.), John Wiley and Sons, Hoboken N.J., pp. A.1O.1-A.1O.23 (2000). PMID: 18432649 LIGM:231
[6] Lefranc, M.-P. and Lefranc, G. The Immunoglobulin FactsBook, Academic Press, 458 pages (2001) ISBN: 012441351X
[7] Lefranc, M.-P. and Lefranc, G. The T cell receptor FactsBook, Academic Press, 398 pages (2001) ISBN: 0124413528
[8] Lefranc, M.-P. WHO-IUIS Nomenclature Subcommittee for Immunoglobulins and T cell receptors report. Immunoglobulins and T cell receptors report August 2007, 13th International Congress of Immunology, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Dev. Comp. Immunol., 32, 461-463 (2008). Epub 2007 Nov6, doi:10.1016/j.dci.2007.09.008.PMID: 18036660 with permission from Elsevier LIGM:336
[9] Lefranc, M.-P. WHO-IUIS Nomenclature Subcommittee for Immunoglobulins and T cell receptors report. Immunogenetics, 59, 899-902 (2007), Epub 2007 Nov29. PMID: 18046549 LIGM:334
[10] Lefranc, M.-P. and Rabbitts, T.H. The human T-cell receptor gamma (TRG) genes. Trends Biochem Sci (TIBS), 14(6), 214-218 (1989). DOI: 10.1016/0968-0004(89)90029-7.PMID: 2527426 LIGM: 84
