Bone marrow cells of athymic nude mice express functional T cell receptor alpha chain transcripts rearranged to V delta 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 genes

Visualization and quantification of monoallelic TCRα gene rearrangement in αβ T cells

T-cell receptor α (TCRα) chain rearrangement is not constrained by allelic exclusion and thus αβ T cells frequently have rearranged both alleles of this locus. Thereby, stepwise secondary rearrangements of both TCRα loci further increase the odds for generation of an α-chain that can be positively selected in combination with a pre-existing TCRβ chain. Previous studies estimated that approximately 2-12% of murine and human αβ T cells still carry one TCRα locus in germline configuration, which must comprise a partially or even fully rearranged TCRδ locus. However, these estimates are based on a relatively small amount of individual αβ T-cell clones and αβ T-cell hybridomas analyzed to date. To address this issue more accurately, we made use of a mouse model, in which a fluorescent reporter protein is introduced into the constant region of the TCRδ locus. In this TcrdH2BeGFP system, fluorescence emanating from retained TCRδ loci enabled us to quantify monoallelically rearranged αβ T cells on a single-cell basis. Via fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis, we determined the frequency of monoallelic TCRα rearrangements to be 1.7% in both peripheral CD4(+) and CD8(+) αβ T cells. Furthermore, we found a skewed 5' Jα gene utilization of the rearranged TCRα allele in T cells with monoallelic TCRα rearrangements. This is in line with previous descriptions of a tight interallelic positional coincidence of Jα gene segments used on both TCRα alleles. Finally, analysis of T cells from transgenic mice harboring only one functional TCRα locus implied the existence of very rare unusual translocation or episomal reintegration events of formerly excised TCRδ loci.

Germline genomic structure of the B10.A mouse Tcra-V2 gene subfamily

The number of mouse Tcra-V gene segments varies from one individual to another and is estimated to be about 100. Southern blot analysis revealed that most of the Tcra-V are organized in clusters composed of copies of Tcra-V belonging to different subfamilies. We analyzed in detail a Tcra-V subfamily and looked for new Tcra-V in order to improve the knowledge of the mouse Tcra locus organization. A series of genomic clones derived from the B10.A mouse strain enclosing these clusters was used to determined the structure of all the Tcra-V2. We were able to identify ten Tcra-V2. This study showed that the Tcra-V2 can be organized into three structural subgroups. The distribution of the genes along the Tcra locus, plus their structural organization, indicates that successive duplications occurred during the processes of expansion and contraction of the Tcra-V gene subfamilies. Several Tcra-V2 are also identical, indicating recent duplications. The most divergent Tcra-V2 differ by 7.4% nucleotides, leading to 5.2% differences in amino acid contents.

Comparison of human and mouse T-cell receptor variable gene segment subfamilies

Like the immunoglobulin Igh-V and Igk-V gene families, the human or mouse TCRV gene families may be grouped into subfamilies displaying > 75% nucleic acid sequence similarity among their members. Systematic interspecies sequence comparisons reveal that most mouse Tcr-V subfamilies exhibit clear homology to human TCRV subfamilies (> 60% amino acid sequence similarity). Homologous pairs of TCRV genes in mice and humans show higher sequence similarity than TCRV genes from different subfamilies within either species, indicating transspecies evolution of TCRV genes. Mouse and human homologues show conservation of their relative map order, particularly in the 3' region and a similar sequential and developmentally programmed expression. When the V regions from both species were analyzed together, local length differences and conserved residues in the loop regions were revealed, characteristic of each of the four TCRV families.

A gut-homing, oligoclonal CD4+ T cell population in severe-combined immunodeficient mice expressing a rearranged, transgenic class I-restricted alpha beta T cell receptor

We studied the peripheral T cell compartment of H-2b severe combined immunodeficient (scid) mice that express a transgenic (tg) alpha beta T cell receptor (TcR) specific for the H-Y (male) epitope presented by the H-2 class I Db molecule. Large populations of CD3+ NK1.1-TCR beta T+ T cells were present in spleen, mesenteric lymph nodes, peritoneal cavity, lamina propria and epithelial layer of the small and large intestine of 6- to 10-month-old, male and female tg scid mice. Only low numbers of CD3+ T cells were recovered from inguinal, popliteal, or axillary lymph nodes. We studied CD4+ T cells in these tg scid mice. CD4+ T cells were found in the peritoneal cavity, in the mesenteric lymph nodes and in the intraepithelial layer and lamina propria of the gut. All CD4+ T cells were CD44+ (i.e. showed evidence of antigen-driven differentiation) and expressed the tg V beta 8.2 TcR beta-chain (TcR beta T+). Only few CD4+ T cells expressed the tg V alpha 3+ TcR alpha-chain (TcR alpha T). cDNA was prepared from CD4+ T cells from spleen or mesenteric lymph nodes of individual male and female tg scid mice; sequence analyses of polymerase chain reaction-amplified, endogenous TcR alpha-chain (TcR alpha E) transcripts indicated that > 90% of the TcR alpha E-chain transcripts were in-frame, that the TcR alpha E repertoire in CD4+ T cell populations was oligoclonal, and that the TcR alpha E repertoire was different in individual tg scid mice. Hence, an oligoclonal, leaky CD4+ T cell population is selected in tg scid mice that apparently responds to gut-derived antigens. No inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) was evident in the small or large intestine of 6- to 10-month old tg scid mice. After adoptive transfer of purified CD4+ T cells (10(5) cells per mouse) from tg scid mice into non-tg H-2b scid mice, CD4+ TcR alpha T-beta T+ cells were found in gut tissues of the immunodeficient host. Transplanted scid mice developed clinical and histological signs of IBD. An oligoclonal, gut-homing, memory/effector CD4+ CD44+ TcR beta T+ TcR alpha T-T cell subset from leaky tg scid mice thus has a pathogenic potential when released from the control of TcR beta T+ TcR alpha T+ T cells.