Identification of T-cell receptor alpha-chain genes in the chicken

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 91; no. 3; pp. 1094 - 1098
• Main Authors: Gobel, T.W.F, Chen, C.L.H, Lahti, J, Kubota, T, Kuo, C.L, Aebersold, R, Hood, L, Cooper, M.D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 01-02-1994; National Acad Sciences
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Amino acids; Animals; ARN MENSAJERO; ARN MESSAGER; Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; Biological Evolution; Cell Line; Cell lines; Chickens; Chickens - genetics; Chickens - immunology; CHIMIORECEPTEUR; Cloning, Molecular; Complementary DNA; Conserved Sequence; DNA; DNA, Complementary - genetics; EXPRESION GENICA; EXPRESSION DES GENES; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; GENE; Gene Rearrangement, alpha-Chain T-Cell Antigen Receptor; GENES; Genes. Genome; Genomics; Humans; LINFOCITOS; LYMPHOCYTE; Mammals; Molecular and cellular biology; Molecular genetics; Molecular Sequence Data; POLLO; POULET; QUIMIORECEPTORS; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta - genetics; RNA; SECUENCIA NUCLEICA; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; SEQUENCE NUCLEIQUE; T cell antigen receptors; T lymphocytes; Vertebrata; Immunogenetics; T cell receptor; Nucleotide sequence; Interspecific comparison; Variable region; Alpha-Peptide chain; Multigene family; Chicken; Aves; Aminoacid sequence; Structural analysis
• ISSN: 0027-8424; 1091-6490
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.91.3.1094

T-cell receptor (TCR) alpha-chain (TCR alpha) and beta-chain (TCR beta) genes are well characterized in mammals, while only TCR beta genes have been identified in other vertebrates. To identify avian TCR alpha genes, we used monoclonal anti-CD3 antibodies to isolate chicken TCR alpha for peptide sequence analysis. Degenerate oligonucleotide probes were then used to isolate a candidate TCR alpha cDNA done that hybridized with a 1.7-kb mRNA species present only in alpha beta T cells and in tissues populated by these cells. Southern blot analysis revealed gene rearrangement in thymocytes and alpha beta T-cell lines. The TCR alpha cDNA candidate encoded an open reading frame of 275 amino acids, the predicted variable (V)-, joining (J)-, and constant (C)-region amino acid sequences of which shared approximately 40%, 60%, and 25% homology with corresponding mammalian sequences. A single C alpha gene and approximately 25 V alpha genes were identified by using region-specific probes. The V alpha cDNA probe isolated from a V beta 1 cell line reacted with transcripts from one of five V beta 2-1 cell lines, suggesting shared use of V alpha genes by V beta 1+ and V beta 2+ T cells and the existence of other V alpha gene families. A genomic V alpha sequence was flanked by classical recombination signal sequences but, unlike previously defined V genes, the leader and V. region were encoded by a single exon. The data indicate evolutionary conservation of the basic TCR alpha gene structure in birds and mammals