The differentiation of human pro-thymocytes along the TCR-alpha/beta pathway in vitro is accompanied by the site-specific deletion of the TCR-delta locus

Int Immunol. 1991 Dec;3(12):1301-5. doi: 10.1093/intimm/3.12.1301.

Abstract

The nested location of the TCR-delta gene within the TCR-alpha locus is a common feature of both mouse and human. Yet alpha/beta and gamma/delta T cells represent two separate lineages. We have previously proposed that a specific rearrangement event (delta Rec--psi J alpha) resulting in the specific deletion of the TCR-delta gene could be responsible for the independent usage of these two loci. We used an in vitro model of T cell differentiation to test this hypothesis. We show that in culture conditions (IL-1 + sCD23) which promote the development of alpha/beta expressing T cells exclusively, the specific deletion of the TCR-delta locus occurs very rapidly, probably before the productive rearrangement of the TCR-alpha gene. These results clearly demonstrate that the specific deletion of the TCR-delta gene could be the initial regulatory event that imprints the irreversible commitment of T cell differentiation along the alpha/beta pathway.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Base Sequence
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Chromosome Deletion
  • Gene Rearrangement, T-Lymphocyte*
  • Genes
  • Humans
  • In Vitro Techniques
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Oligonucleotides / chemistry
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / genetics*
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / genetics*
  • T-Lymphocytes / cytology*
  • Thymus Gland / cytology

Substances

  • Oligonucleotides
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta