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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America logoLink to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
. 1989 Jan;86(2):631–635. doi: 10.1073/pnas.86.2.631

Different gamma delta T-cell receptors are expressed on thymocytes at different stages of development.

K Ito 1, M Bonneville 1, Y Takagaki 1, N Nakanishi 1, O Kanagawa 1, E G Krecko 1, S Tonegawa 1
PMCID: PMC286526  PMID: 2463632

Abstract

We have analyzed the structural diversity of the murine gamma delta T-cell receptor (TCR) heterodimer expressed on CD4- CD8- thymocyte populations and on TCR gamma delta-expressing hybridomas derived from thymocytes of fetal, newborn, and adult mice. We found that CD4- CD8- thymocytes derived from mice of different pre- and postnatal age preferentially express a gamma delta TCR encoded by different subsets of gamma and delta gene segments. This age-dependent differential expression of gamma delta TCR on thymocytes seems to be accomplished in part by a specific control of rearranged gamma genes operating at the level of transcription and/or RNA stability. We discuss the implications of these findings with respect to the recognition roles of the gamma delta TCR.

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Selected References

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