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. 1998 Feb;93(2):208–212. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2567.1998.00417.x

T-cell receptor V delta-J alpha rearrangements in human thymocytes: the role of V delta-J alpha rearrangements in T-cell receptor-delta gene deletion.

M C Verschuren 1, I L Wolvers-Tettero 1, T M Breit 1, J J van Dongen 1
PMCID: PMC1364180  PMID: 9616370

Abstract

The differentiation mechanisms that force thymocytes into the T-cell receptor (TCR)-alpha beta or TCR-gamma delta lineage are poorly understood, but rearrangement processes in the TCR-alpha/delta locus are likely to play an important role. It is assumed that the TCR-delta gene is deleted prior to V alpha-J alpha rearrangements by rearrangement of the so-called TCR-delta-deleting elements delta Rec and psi J alpha. However, the TCR-delta gene can also be deleted via V delta-J alpha rearrangements. We studied the different TCR-delta-deleting rearrangements of V delta 1, delta Rec, V delta 2 and V delta 3 to J alpha gene segments in human thymocytes and peripheral blood using polymerase chain reaction analysis. The V delta 1 gene segment is the most upstream V delta gene segment tested and appears to rearrange to almost all J alpha gene segments. In contrast, the delta Rec and V delta 2 gene segments only rearrange to the 5'-located J alpha gene segments, thereby preserving an extensive TCR-alpha combinatorial diversity, because most J alpha gene segments are kept available for subsequent V alpha-J alpha rearrangements. Based on our combined data we hypothesize that the different V delta gene segments and the delta Rec gene segment play different roles in T-cell development with regard to TCR-delta deletion.

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Selected References

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