Inefficient V(D)J recombination underlies monogenic T cell receptor β expression

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 117; no. 31; pp. 18172 - 18174
• Main Authors: Wu, Glendon S., Bassing, Craig H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington National Academy of Sciences 04-08-2020
• Series: Brief Report
• Subjects: Adaptive immunity; Alleles; Antigens; Assembly; Biological Sciences; BRIEF REPORTS; Gene expression; Genes; Genomics; Immunoglobulins; Loci; Lymphocytes; Lymphocytes T; Receptors; T cell receptors; V(D)J recombination
• ISSN: 0027-8424; 1091-6490
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2010077117

The assembly of T cell receptor (TCR) and immunoglobulin (Ig) genes by V(D)J recombination generates the antigen receptor (AgR) diversity that is vital for adaptive immunity. At most AgR loci, V(D)J recombination is regulated so that only one allele assembles a functional gene, ensuring that nearly every T and B cell expresses a single type, or specificity, of AgR. The genomic organizations of some AgR loci permit the assembly and expression of two distinct genes on each allele; however, this is prevented by undetermined mechanisms. We show that the poor qualities of recombination signal sequences (RSSs) flanking Vβ gene segments suppress the assembly and expression of two distinct TCRβ genes from a single allele. Our data demonstrate that an intrinsic genetic mechanism that stochastically limits Vβ recombination efficiency governs monogenic TCRβ expression, thereby restraining the expression of multiple AgRs on αβ T cells.