The diversity of in-frame TCR delta chain transcripts in aging SCID mice.
From spleen, liver, bone marrow, and gut of old C.B-17 scid/scid (SCID) mice, TCR delta chain transcripts were amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using V delta 1-, V delta 2-, V delta 3-, V delta 4-, V delta 5-, V delta 6-, and C delta-specific primers. Selectively amplified, TCR delta-chain-encoding cDNA from these organs of five old SCID mice was cloned, and 175 randomly selected clones were sequenced. In this panel, 44 distinct rearrangement events were detected, 82% (36/44) of which were in-frame. For V delta 2, V delta 4, V delta 5, and V delta 6, 34 in-frame transcripts were found in five old SCID mice. No potentially functional transcript containing V delta 3 was found and an unusual type of transcript containing the V delta 1 gene segment spliced directly in-frame to C delta was the predominant type of V delta 1 expression. Junctional diversity was evident in most sequenced clones indicating an extensive potential diversity of SCID-derived TCR delta chains. Identical transcripts were amplified from different organs of the same old SCID mouse. No organ-specific expression of V delta genes was evident. TCR delta chain transcripts could be neither amplified from young SCID mice nor from young SCID mice nor from young or old scid/scid nu/nu mice (bred on a BALB/c background). Hence, an apparently thymus-dependent development of oligoclonal populations of TCR delta+ cells is observed in old SCID mice.
Spiess
S
S
Institute of Microbiology, University of Ulm, Germany.
Reimann
J
J
D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D016694:Gene Rearrangement, delta-Chain T-Cell Antigen Receptor; D014644:Genetic Variation; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D016513:Mice, SCID / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009928:Organ Specificity; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000235:genetics*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta; D004247:DNA