title: Characterization of an avian (Gallus gallus domesticus) TCR alpha delta gene locus.
abstract: Mammalian TCR delta genes are located in the midst of the TCR alpha gene locus. In the chicken, one large V delta gene family, two D delta gene segments, two J delta gene segments, and one C delta gene have been identified. The TCR delta genes were deleted on both alleles in alpha beta T cell lines, thereby indicating conservation of the combined TCR alpha delta locus in birds. V alpha and V delta gene segments were found to rearrange with one, both or neither of the D delta segments and either of the two J delta segments. Exonuclease activity, P-addition, and N-addition during VDJ delta rearrangement contributed to TCR delta repertoire diversification in the first embryonic wave of T cells. An unbiased V delta 1 repertoire was observed at all ages, but an acquired J delta 1 usage bias occurred in the TCR delta repertoire. The unrestricted combinatorial diversity of relatively complex TCR gamma and delta loci may contribute to the remarkable abundance of gamma delta T cells in this avian representative.
authors.affiliation: Division of Developmental and Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Alabama, Birmingham 35294, USA.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kubota
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: T W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Göbel
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Hockett
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002417:Cattle; D002645:Chickens; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000378:metabolism; D017353:Gene Deletion; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000276:immunology; D015332:Gene Rearrangement, alpha-Chain T-Cell Antigen Receptor; D016694:Gene Rearrangement, delta-Chain T-Cell Antigen Receptor; D019673:Genes, T-Cell Receptor alpha; D019676:Genes, T-Cell Receptor delta; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011817:Rabbits; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics*; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta