Monoclonal antibodies (mAb) were used to characterize a panel (n = 46) of T cell receptor (TcR) gamma/delta+ T cell clones. Three of these antibodies have been described to react with specific variable region-encoded protein products and can therefore be used to detect functional gene rearrangements. The majority of peripheral blood-derived clones (43 out of 45) expressed the epitopes recognized by mAb BB3, encoded by the V delta 2 gene segment and mAb Ti gamma A, encoded by the V gamma 9 gene segment. These clones lacked the antigenic determinant recognized by mAb delta-TCS-1, encoded by the V delta 1 gene segment. The other two peripheral blood-derived clones and an ascites-derived clone were Ti gamma A-, BB3- and delta-TCS-1+. Biochemical analysis revealed that all Ti gamma A+, BB3+ T cell clones expressed the disulfide-linked form of the receptor. The two peripheral blood-derived delta-TCS-1+ T cell clones expressed the nondisulfide-linked form whereas the ascites-derived delta-TCS-1+ clone, AK119 expressed the disulfide-linked form of the TcR gamma/delta heterodimer. This indicates that V delta 1-encoded delta chains can be associated either with a C gamma 1- or a C gamma 2-encoded gamma chain. The preferential use of certain V gamma and V delta gene segments suggests the existence of a limited combinatorial diversity in TcR gamma/delta heterodimers, i.e. Ti gamma A+ (V gamma 9), BB3+ (V delta 2) and delta-TCS-1- disulfide-linked heterodimers and Ti gamma A-, BB3- and delta-TCS-1+ (V delta 1) disulfide- or non disulfide-linked forms.