The canonical T cell receptor of dendritic epidermal gamma delta T cells is highly conserved between rats and mice.
Two monoclonal antibodies with specificity for rat gammadelta T cell receptor (TCR) were generated. One, called V65, reacts with all CD3+ alphabeta TCR- rat Tcells and thus recognizes a constant determinant of the rat gammadelta TCR (Kühnlein et al., Journal of Immunology 1994, 153: 979). The other, called V45, reacts with approximately 80% of gammadelta T cells in peripheral lymphoid organs. In rat epidermis, V65 but not V45 detects a dense network of the dendritic epidermal Tcells (DETC). Analysis of epidermal RNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) indicated that Vgamma3 and Vdelta1 are the predominant, if not exclusive TCR V transcripts present at this site. Sequence analysis of cDNA clones obtained by reverse transcription-PCR with Vgamma3- and Vdelta1-specific primers revealed that the variable domains of rat DETC gamma and delta chains are very homologous to those described in mice (92% and 95% identity at the protein level). The complete conservation between the two species of the amino acid sequences at the V-(D)-J transitions of this monomorphic receptor indicates that the interaction of the DETC TCR with its as yet unknown ligand must be of central importance for DETC function.
Kühnlein
P
P
Institute for Virology and Immunobiology, University of Würzburg, Germany.
Mitnacht
R
R
Torres-Nagel
N E
NE
Herrmann
T
T
Elbe
A
A
Hünig
T
T
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000737:chemistry; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017124:Conserved Sequence / Q000276:immunology*; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D004817:Epidermis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta