Essential requirement of an invariant V alpha 14 T cell antigen receptor expression in the development of natural killer T cells.
NK1.1+ T [natural killer (NK) T] cells express an invariant T cell antigen receptor alpha chain (TCR alpha) encoded by V alpha 14 and J alpha 281 segments in association with a limited number of V betas, predominantly V beta 8.2. Expression of the invariant V alpha 14/J alpha 281, but not V alpha 1, TCR in transgenic mice lacking endogenous TCR alpha expression blocks the development of conventional T alpha beta cells and leads to the preferential development of V alpha 14 NK T cells, suggesting a prerequisite role of invariant V alpha 14 TCR in NK T cell development. In V beta 8.2 but not B beta 3 transgenic mice, two NK T cells with different CD3 epsilon expressions, CD3 epsilon(dim) and CD3 epsilon(high), can be identified. CD3 epsilon(high) NK T cells express surface V alpha 14/V beta 8 TCR, indicating a mature cell type, whereas CD3 epsilon(dim) NK T cells express V beta 8 without V alpha 14 TCR and no significant CD3 epsilon expression (CD3 epsilon(dim)) on the cell surface. However, the latter are positive for recombination activating gene (RAG-1 and RAG-2) mRNA, which are only expressed in the precursor or immature T cell lineage, and also possess CD3 epsilon mRNA in their cytoplasm, suggesting that CD3 epsilon(dim) NK T cells are the precursor of V alpha 14 NK T cells.
Taniguchi
M
M
Division of Molecular Immunology, Chiba University, Japan.
Koseki
H
H
Tokuhisa
T
T
Masuda
K
K
Sato
H
H
Kondo
E
E
Kawano
T
T
Cui
J
J
Perkes
A
A
Koyasu
S
S
Makino
Y
Y
D000818:Animals; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006410:Hematopoiesis; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C499308:Rag2 protein, mouse; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; C064655:V(D)J recombination activating protein 2; C064658:RAG-1 protein